Addressing Gender Based Violence

Not One More Girl: Our Story of Courage

Not One More Girl is a BIPOC youth-led initiative in partnership with community-based organizations and BART to end gender-based violence and harassment on transit. 

We define girls as gender-expansive youth (cis girls, trans girls, non-binary youth, gender non-conforming youth, gender queer youth and any girl-identified youth).

This website is a resource hub offering action-based strategies to prevent and interrupt harm, teach safe bystander intervention, share non-police and police resources for survivors and allies, outline tools available to riders, and details about the history of the Not One More Girl initiative, survey data collected, and next steps.

Read about Phase I of Not One More Girl
Read about Phase II of Not One More Girl  

Our community partners, The Betti Ono Foundation, have also curated content around the theme “Our Story of Courage,” emphasizing how girls can have a greater sense of empowerment in a harassment situation.   

Listen to our podcast about Not One More Girl.

View a PDF of our handout outlining steps to take if you are being harassed on a train or station and resources available.

如果您在列車或車站
受到騷擾

Si te acosan en un tren o en
una estación

New Bystander Intervention Safety Cards

Wallet-size printed cards are now available to riders to discreetly hand to people to signal they need help or support or to notify someone being harassed that others are there to help and support them. 

Bystander Intervention Card Version 1: "You Got Me?"
Front side and back side:

Bystander Intervention Card

Bystander Intervention Card Version 2: "I Got You." 
Front side and Back side:

Bystander Intervention Card

The cards are available for pick up at each Station Agent booth at BART and Ambassadors and Crisis Intervention Specialists will carry the cards and give them out when engaging riders. BART and the Betti Ono Foundation will also work to distribute the cards to youth through community organizations, events and schools.

Visit our Bystander Intervention section for specific steps to take if you witness harassment.

 

By centering youth most in the margins, this initiative will have a ripple effect on safety for all.

Not One More Girl uses youth participatory action research, cultural strategy, art, and policy change to dismantle the systems that have enabled gender-based violence and instead create systems of empowerment for riders. 

This resource website includes:

Resources for Gender Based Violence and Sexual Harassment on BART    
     How to Report Gender Based Violence and Sexual Harassment    
     What to Expect When You Report    
     Non Police Resources    
     Bystander Intervention      
Key Definitions    
Acts Against State Law    
About The Not One More Girl Campaign    
      Community Activation Events    
      Digital Swag Bag and Healing Kits     
Domestic Violence Campaign: Let's Talk About US 

Fundamental right to exist

 

How to Report Gender Based Violence and Harassment at BART

PDF of informational flyer    
CÓMO OBTENER AYUDA en caso de violencia de género o acoso sexual en BART    
舊金山灣區捷運局 (BART) 呼籲:在捷運內發 生性别暴力或性騷擾時,請伸出援手。

If you are experiencing or witnessing gender-based violence or harassment at BART, there are many ways to get immediate help from a BART employee. There are also community organizations that offer help.

BART Police:

  • Call BART Police dispatch at 510-464-7000. You will speak to a police dispatcher. Always call this number or 911 for crimes in progress or emergencies.
  • Use the free BART Watch app to send a private message to police dispatch. An anonymous feature is available. Location services are enabled on the app but can be disabled in “permissions.” When enabled, your location is provided to police dispatch when you submit a report via the app.
  • Text BART Police dispatch at 510-200-0992.
  • The Coliseum station also has an emergency call box on the platform that connects you to police dispatch.

When using BART Watch, police dispatch uses the following definitions to determine police response. Please keep these definitions in mind when selecting a reporting category:

Sexual Assault/Lewd Behavior:  Physical sexual acts done against a person’s will or when a person is not able to consent, exposure of genitals or public masturbation, and inappropriate touching or groping.

This is criminal behavior and an officer will be dispatched.

Disruptive Behavior:  Willfully disturbing others on or in a system facility or vehicle by engaging in boisterous or unruly behavior. Fighting or challenging another person to fight, as well as someone who uses offensive words likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction.

This is potentially criminal behavior and an officer may be dispatched based on the specific scenario and details from the reporting party.

Human Trafficking: Exploiting another person for labor, services, or commercial sex.

This is criminal behavior and an officer will be dispatched.

Unwanted sexual harassment (non-criminal):  Unwelcomed conduct of a sexual nature, including unwelcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or physical sexual acts.  Invasion of personal space or unwanted staring.

This is not criminal behavior and you will receive this response:

“Thank you for reporting this incident. If you require immediate police assistance or you do not feel safe please reply here or contact BART Police Dispatch at (510) 464-7000.  BART does not tolerate sexual harassment and it is important we collect data on how often and where it happens to guide our prevention and response strategies. We’ve partnered with the Alliance for Girls and local community leaders on the “Not One More Girl” campaign to provide our riders with resources related to this behavior. Visit www.bart.gov/NotOneMoreGirl”

On BART/At the Station

  • Use the train intercom button located at the end doors, near where you walk from one car into another, to speak to the train operator. On Fleet of the Future cars the train operator will get an automatic video feed inside your train car when the intercom button is pressed. Older legacy cars do not have this feature. 
  • Use the white phones located on the platforms to connect to a station agent. This phone will roll over to the Operations Control Center which is staffed 24/7.
  • Seek out any BART employee. Look for employees with a BART logo on their uniform. Frontline employees have received training on handling crisis incidents. 

Where to find car number

It is a personal decision to report criminal activity related to sexual harassment and gender-based violence. When reporting, it helps to know what acts are against the law, which is outlined here.

It also helps to understand what will be expected from you if you decide to report an incident and perhaps press charges.

Non-Police Resources

If you do not feel comfortable reaching out to BART police, you can contact the following community organizations, who provide immediate community services for gender based violence and sexual harassment: 

Actions and Tools You Can Use If You Are Experiencing Gender Based Violence and Harassment  

Besides contacting BART police or staff there are additional tools and actions you can take.

  • If you are traveling alone, you can ride in the first car of the train close to the train operator cab door. This will make it easier to flag the BART operator if you need help. 
  • At any time while using BART, you can request someone to walk with you or wait with you. You can make this request by contacting police dispatch via phone, text or BART Watch as outlined above. You can request sworn (armed) police personnel or non-sworn (unarmed) Community Service Officers/Ambassadors.
  • Program your phone emergency SOS settings so you can alert police and emergency contacts for help in seconds. Instructions for Androids here and iPhones here
  • You can also add the BART police phone number 510-464-7000 and text 510-200-0992 to your contacts.
  • Use your voice to let others know about what is going on.

           Describe what is happening, be specific and ask a bystander to help you.     
           Ex: “stop” vs “Person in the jeans and green shirt, get your hand off my thigh, I do not know you and I do not want you to touch me.” or  to engage a bystander “Hey, person with the black pants and blue button-down, can you call the BART operator? Can you switch seats with me?”

           Broken record technique: Say the same thing over and over again until the person leaves. This is a technique from Malikah which you can watch here.    
           Ex: have a good day, have a good day, have a good day, etc

Key Definitions 

  • Sexual Violence & Harassment: Unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, including unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, physical sexual acts done against a person’s will or when a person is not able to consent (ex: sexual assault), verbal or nonverbal conduct of a sexual nature, invasion of personal space, exposure of genitals or public masturbation, inappropriate touching, grinding, groping, sexually suggestive and unwanted staring, and infliction of the fear for safety.
  • Gender-based violence: Social, economic, physical, psychological, verbal, form of violence based on (perceived) gender. (Ex: street harassment, withholding money, etc.)
  • Girls: Gender-expansive youth (cis girls, trans girls, non-binary youth, gender non-conforming youth, gender queer youth and any girl-identified youth).
  • (Affirmative) Consent: When a person freely agrees or gives permission to a certain action. Affirmative consent is a standard that makes clear there must be voluntary, knowing, mutual, verbally and explicitly communicated consent to engage in sexual activity. Silence does not mean consent. Affirmative consent can be revoked at any time and can be reasserted.
  • Gender norms: Socialized performance enforced by society which informs how one behaves and thinks based on perceived gender identity. 
  • Transphobia: Harmful enforcement of the gender binary that results in the dehumanization and invisibilization of trans-identified people. 
  • Homophobia:  Discrimination of nonheterosexual people and labeled behaviors deemed feminine that often intersects with racial and cultural stereotypes.

*Terms defined by Alliance for Girls, youth leaders, and their members.