TfL invites Londoners to participate in active bystander training

• Training builds on TfL's hate crime campaign that launched in 2021 and active bystander campaign that launched last year
• Initially, 28 per cent of participants knew what to do if a hate incident occurred to someone else, rising to 87 per cent after the training 

This year, to mark National Hate Crime Awareness Week, Transport for London is funding hundreds of free Active Bystander Awareness sessions* over the autumn and winter, as part of its efforts to empower Londoners to safely take action when they encounter hate crime on the transport network.

Throughout National Hate Crime Awareness Week (12-19 October), TfL is working with the police to run a series of events across the transport network to raise awareness of hate crime and the work TfL is doing to tackle it, to help reassure those who may lack confidence to travel on public transport and empower Londoners to support their fellow passengers.

Many Londoners remain worried about hate crime, including people from Jewish and Muslim communities who have seen a significant rise in incidents in the past year. TfL is committed to tackling hate, intolerance and extremism and continues to take a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of abuse on its network. Thousands of frontline staff are trained to support customers, with more than 500 TfL enforcement officers and around 2,000 police and police community support officers patrolling the network.

To help support Londoners to speak up and support one another to prevent abuse or harassment, TfL is hosting free online Active Bystander Awareness training this autumn and winter. The interactive three-hour course is led by the identity-based violence prevention charity Protection Approaches, and was developed in partnership with the Britain's East and Southeast Asian Network. 

These sessions aim to empower people to take action to prevent or reduce harm when they encounter hate crime by looking at how to respond to a series of hypothetical scenarios. With the course partly funded by the Mayor's Shared Endeavour Fund, TfL has added to this funding to expand the training to even more Londoners. The sessions will be held from late October to early December, are aimed at all Londoners and require no previous knowledge.

More than 200 Londoners benefitted from the free training last year with participants consistently providing positive feedback and reporting increased confidence in dealing with hate crime incidents. At the start of the sessions, 28 per cent participants knew what to do if a hate incident occurred to someone else, rising to 87 per cent after the training. 

Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said: "Ensuring Londoners' safety is the Mayor's number one priority, and tackling hate crime is a key component of our work to ensure that people can travel around our city with confidence. It's brilliant to see these important training sessions being offered to even more Londoners, as part of our efforts to build a safer, fairer and greener London."

Siwan Hayward, TfL's Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement, said: "Over the last year we've seen an abhorrent increase in hate crimes directed at Jewish and Muslim communities which must be stopped. We are determined to eradicate hate crime in all its forms from London's transport network. 

"During National Hate Crime Awareness Week, we are encouraging Londoners to become active bystanders by funding hundreds of places on Active Bystander training sessions with Protection Approaches. These sessions have already empowered hundreds of Londoners to speak up and support one another to prevent abuse or harassment. I would really encourage Londoners who are keen to find out how they can support victims of hate crime to sign up."

Andy Fearn, Co-Executive Director of Protection Approaches, said: "Events over the past year have led to more and more Londoners to ask what they can do to help if they encounter hate. Whether it's an inappropriate comment in the workplace, harassment on the Tube, or a physical assault in the street, our Active Bystander training is proven to help people feel more confident and equipped to act safely and in ways that ensure the best outcomes for victims. We're delighted to be partnering with TfL and to be providing this training for its passengers. Together, this work will make London that little bit safer."

Tom Naughton, Chief Superintendent of Metropolitan Police Service said: "London's transport network is a space for everyone, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that it remains safe, inclusive, and welcoming for all people, regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic. Hate crimes not only harm individuals but also undermine the strength and unity of our diverse city.

"The Metropolitan Police Service, in collaboration with TfL, is dedicated to preventing hate crimes and supporting victims. We work tirelessly to ensure that incidents are reported, investigated, and addressed with the seriousness they deserve. We encourage all Londoners to report hate crimes, whether they are victims or witnesses. By working together with our partners, local communities, and support networks, we can build a city where everyone feels safe and valued."

Chris Casey, Chief Superintendent of British Transport Police said: "We stand strong in our fight against hate crime and we will listen to, and act swiftly in response to, concerns raised by those travelling on the network.

"Abuse, intimidation or violence will never be tolerated and initiatives like the Active Bystander Awareness sessions will further our work to banish these behaviours and allow individuals to feel empowered in supporting their fellow passengers.

"We will continue to work with our policing, rail and community partners to ensure we are doing everything in our power to protect you and make you feel safe." 

Michael Roberts, CEO of London Travelwatch, said: "Our ongoing research into personal security on London Transport, and our report Out in London, highlighted the worrying scale of hate crime and harassment on London transport, but also showed the high percentage of people that felt it wouldn't be safe to intervene if they witnessed such a crime. 

"The excellent Active Bystander Awareness training sessions will help educate and empower Londoners to take action if they witness any form of hate crime, and will contribute towards a safer transport system for everyone." 

A hate crime is any crime perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility on the grounds of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity. One of the themes for this year's National Hate Crime Awareness Week is tackling hate crime that LGBTQ+ people experience. A report from London TravelWatch last year, Out in London, showed that 21 per cent of survey respondents experienced hate crime within the last year while travelling on London's transport network and 65 per cent of respondents who had experienced abuse or harm said bystanders had witnessed the event but did not intervene, with many respondents expressing they would not feel safe themselves to do so. 

TfL launched Equity in Motion last year, a plan with more than 80 actions to make London transport fairer, more accessible and more inclusive. By 2026, focussed research and engagement will look to better understand the experiences of disabled customers, women and girls, and LGBTQ+ people and their concerns about safety and security, and in the following year, frontline staff will be provided with training, guidance and tools to support victims of sexual violence and harassment, and hate crime.

*The free half-day active bystander training courses are now available to book here https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/active-bystander-training-transport-for-london-3680839.

Notes to Editor

*The Active Bystander Awareness training sessions will be held on these dates:

• Friday 18 October: 14:00-17:00
• Thursday 24 October: 14:00-17:00
• Thursday 31 October: 10:00-13:00
• Wednesday 6 November: 14:00-17:00
• Friday 8 November: 10:00-17:00
• Tuesday 12 November: 14:00-17:00
• Wednesday 13 November: 10:00-13:00
• Friday 22 November: 14:00-17:00
• Tuesday 26 November: 10:00-13:00
• Monday 2 December: 14:00-17:00

About Protection Approaches 

• Protection Approaches is the only UK charity working to tackle all forms of identity-based violence and mass atrocities. For more information about the training and to book a place, visit: https://protectionapproaches.org/ab-training

Reporting a hate crime 

• TfL encourages anyone who experiences or witnesses a crime on London Underground or rail modes to report it to the British Transport Police by texting 61016, or via the free Railway Guardian App. Customers can also report incidents to members of staff. Customers can report an incident on the bus network at www.met.police.uk or by calling 101. In an emergency or if the suspect is still on scene, customers should call 999. For more information on hate crime visit https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/safety/reporting-hate-crime

Becoming an active bystander 

• These are ways in which people can support if they witness someone being harassed or made to feel uncomfortable on the transport network
• They don't need to have been targeted themselves to report it to a member of staff or to the police. Reporting is important but there are other things people can do to support fellow passengers
• TfL encourages people to look out for and support one another if something doesn't feel right. Ways to support a fellow passenger who is being harassed, if it is safe to do so include:
• Distract with a question: If it is safe to do so, speak to the person being targeted, ignoring the perpetrator. Asking a small question such as 'do you have the time?' or 'what's the next stop?', can provide a distraction and help to defuse the situation
• Make a note: Make a note of what is happening, (what line, station, bus number or tube/train carriage number), what time it is, what the perpetrator looks like, what they're wearing and any other important details. Reporting what a person witnesses helps with the investigation and can stop it happening to someone else. Use these details to report what's happened. For Tube and rail, text British Transport Police on 61016 or using the Guardian Railway app. On buses call the Metropolitan Police on 101 or online at met.police.uk
• Make sure they are OK: Following an incident, checking in with the person who has been targeted is a powerful thing to do. Assure them that what happened isn't okay, see if you can support them and let them know that you will report the incident too. This can make them feel less isolated and more confident to report it themselves
• Speak to a member of TfL staff for help. Directly challenging the offender about their behaviour is risky and people need to assess the situation very carefully before speaking up. People should avoid putting themself in harm's way. The interventions above can be a more effective and safer way to help