Image generated by AI in the AFES research group.

A study by the University of Valencia (UV) concludes that 11.63% of the population has suffered harassment during active transport (travelling on foot, by bicycle or in a wheelchair), and that this action is marked by strong gender inequality: women report more than twice as many cases as men. The article, published in the Journal of Transport Geography and focused on the cities of Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona and Seville, shows that harassment occurs predominantly while walking — particularly among women (84% of cases) — and is more frequent in winter and at night.

By contrast, among incidents of harassment occurring while cycling, men experienced them 16.2% of the time, compared to 4.5% of women. “Verbal harassment is the most common type among women, whereas among men it is divided between verbal and visual harassment. Geographically, cases tend to be concentrated in central and busy areas of the cities”, explains Laura Antón, researcher in the Physical Activity, Education and Society (AFES) group, affiliated to the Department of Education and School Management of the UV and first author of the article.

From an urban perspective, the geolocation analysis reveals that certain environmental features — such as pedestrian crossings, parks, fountains or sports areas — are associated with a higher risk of harassment due to their open nature and high footfall. In contrast, agricultural areas or motorcycle parking lots were identified as lower risk, suggesting that traffic density and the type of activity influence the likelihood of being harassed. Moreover, when comparing obese and non-obese individuals, significant differences were found, with the former suffering more harassment than the latter.

Data from the study, obtained through a survey of 1,788 participants, confirm the importance of lighting and perceived safety in public space, as well as the need to integrate a gender perspective into urban design and mobility policies.

The study also involved Maite Pellicer Chenoll, José Devís Devís and Luis Millán González from the Department of Physical and Sports Education, and Xavier García Massó from the Department of Teaching of Physical Education, Arts and Music, all at the University of Valencia.

“Fear of harassment limits the use of sustainable modes of transport and perpetuates inequalities in equitable access to the city. Therefore, inclusive and safe urban planning that reduces psychological and physical barriers is key to promoting active, diverse and violence-free mobility”, explains Laura Antón. On the other hand, harassment on the street during active transport is lower compared with harassment on public transport or harassment on the street while practising sports.

This study forms part of the Prometeo 2021/026 project, funded by the Valencian Department of Education, Culture, Universities and Employment.

Reference: Laura Antón-González, Maite Pellicer-Chenoll, Xavier García-Massó, José Devís-Devís, Luis-Millán González. Street harassment during active transport: A geolocation perspective. Journal of Transport Geography, Volume 130, 2026, 104469. ISSN 0966-6923. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2025.104469