Findings from a research project exploring the harassment of female runners in Worcestershire will be shared at a free event at The Hive next month.
The University of Worcester has been supporting West Mercia Police with the ‘Jog On’ initiative to tackle harassment faced by female runners across Worcestershire, while also carrying out research in this area.
The event, No Excuses, will take place at The Hive in Worcester on 5 August from 4.30-6pm, offering an insight into how the project was carried out and what it revealed.
Dr Gill Harrop, Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology at the University of Worcester, has joined the police for several operations across Worcestershire this year, including in Kidderminster, Worcester, and Hereford.
During the operations, plain-clothes female police officers ran in pairs, with colleagues monitoring nearby to identify and respond to any problematic behaviour, such as drivers beeping their horns at female joggers.
Police stopped those involved at the scene, offering words of advice and explaining the impact such behaviour can have.
Dr Harrop said: “One of the biggest concerns around the harassment of female runners, as well as the harassment of women in public spaces more generally, is that often people don’t think they’ve done anything wrong.”
She added: “They view their actions as harmless, or ‘just a bit of banter’, without recognising how intimidating it can be for the person on the receiving end of it.”
The university’s input to the ‘Jog On’ initiative is part of the Run Safe project, funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia, which explores behaviour towards female runners, including catcalling and physical intimidation, and analyses the type of excuses that are often used to try and justify that behaviour.
At the event at The Hive, attendees will hear more about the findings of the project and the ongoing research into the harassment of runners. A short film, created with students from the University of Worcester, will also be shown, alongside a question-and-answer session with the project team.
“This event is for everyone,” said Dr Harrop. “Not just runners, and not just women. We want people from all backgrounds to come along, learn more about this issue, and think about the role that we can all play in ensuring that our community is a safe and positive space for everyone.”