How to Promote a Safe and Respectful Environment: Strategies for Intervention
We, as a safeguarding platform, have launched a range of Halloween ‘costumes’ to draw attention to the inappropriate behaviours people encounter each day when out in public.
Traditionally, Halloween is a time for monster-themed fancy dress, and we have introduced costumes that resemble ‘normal’ clothing. This emphasises the prevalence of ‘monstrous’ behaviours that occur regularly.
The costumes were developed based on research (that we conducted in Autumn 2023) indicating that 54% of individuals have witnessed inappropriate behaviours happening to others. Among them, only 30% expressed a willingness to verbally intervene, and a mere 13% were willing to physically intervene.
The study also identified the most likely locations for such incidents, with 60% citing ‘nights out (in bars, pubs, clubs, etc)', 40% mentioning ‘public transport’, and 39% referring to ‘walking down the street’.
The most common behaviours witnessed were then used as the basis for the costumes, designed to underscore the everyday occurrence of such behaviours and the importance of understanding how certain actions can offend and intimidate.
According to the research, the top reported behaviours that made people feel uncomfortable or intimidated, forming the basis of each costume, included:
Unwanted physical contact (65%) – ‘The Groper’ costume.
Invading personal space (64%) – ‘The Space Invader’ costume.
Inappropriate comments (56%) – ‘The Inappropriate Commenter’ costume.
Shouting (54%) – ‘The Shouter’ costume.
Staring (49%) – ‘The Starer’ costume.
Swearing (41%) – ‘The Swearer’ costume.
Wolf Whistling (30%) – ‘The Wolf Whistler’ costume.
With research from UN Women revealing that 97% of women aged 18-24 have experienced sexual harassment, the campaign aims to expose the insidious nature of gender-based harassment. The 'costumes' serve as a means to highlight the prevalent but often subtle harassment women and minority genders endure, perpetuating a culture of fear, intimidation, and discomfort in public spaces.
Commenting on the research and the costume initiative, Mark Balaam, our CEO & Founder stated, “Every day, people are faced with anti-social behaviours that make them uncomfortable and intimidated. There’s also a traditional spike in these types of behaviours around Halloween, as costumes and masks add a layer of anonymity. The thing is though, these behaviors are all too often undertaken by ‘normal’ people, wearing ‘normal’ clothing. At Halloween, costumes make it easy to spot the monsters. Outside of Halloween though, monstrous behaviour goes on – it’s just not so obviously signposted.”
Although the costumes are not available for physical purchase, imabi encourages people to donate the equivalent cost of a costume to Crimestoppers, an independent charity dedicated to helping people report crimes anonymously.
Mark added, “The imabi platform is motivated by the concept that ‘everyone has the right to feel safe’. We’re hoping to change attitudes and the understanding of what behaviours can make people feel unsafe – using the stark contrast between Halloween costumes and everyday clothing as a standout example. On top of this, our anonymous reporting function allows you to highlight crimes that you’ve witnessed, which helps contribute to a broader understanding of what types of incidents occur and where – making preventative measures more achievable.”
imabi is an established safeguarding platform, having supported the British Transport Police (BTP) in its recent receipt of the ‘Making Spaces Safer’ award by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing, for its technology behind the BTP’s “Speak Up, Interrupt” campaign and ‘Railway Guardian’ app.
The Railway Guardian app, available to over 5 million daily rail users since its national launch in July 2022, encourages passengers, especially men, to be active bystanders and report incidents of sexual harassment via the app. imabi's partnership with Crimestoppers enables users to quickly access the reporting platform if they encounter criminal behaviour, ensuring the same level of anonymity and quick exit function that characterises its service.
After receiving a call or a completed anonymous online form, Crimestoppers creates a report devoid of any information that could identify the person making the report. This report is then sent to the relevant authority with the legal responsibility to investigate crimes, make arrests, and bring individuals to justice.
For more information on imabi and its Halloween initiative, please visit www.imabi.com/halloween.
To download the imabi community app or Railway Guardian, please visit the Apple or Android app stores.