Exploring the Resilience of Public Transport Trips in the Face of Urban Violence from a Gender Perspective.

Public transport systems that ensure safe and efficient mobility are essential to promote sustainability in cities. However, public transport is susceptible to violence. Additionally, men and women have distinct perceptions of security, which can lead to different reactions in the face of danger. Therefore, considering this situation from a gender perspective, the goal of this study is to assess the levels of resilience in trips made by public transport users when exposed to violence. Data were collected from 763 individuals (women: 60.8%; men: 39.2%) within the academic community of a university campus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, through an online questionnaire. The information obtained included the participants' socioeconomic details, security perceptions, and changes in travel patterns due to security concerns. The results of the Cronbach's alpha test (0.842) indicated a good internal consistency within the data. Chi-squared tests of independence were applied, and calculations for effect size measures were conducted to evaluate the possible association between gender and other variables. Regarding the level of resilience of the trips made, evidence was found that the perception of safety and the behavior of public transport users are influenced by their gender. Regarding the gender of the respondents, an association was found with the resilience levels of trips. Furthermore, it was found that women are more vulnerable to violence in public transport than men, with risks of feeling unsafe during walks to or from stations and on buses being 1.1 and 1.5 times higher, respectively. Additionally, it was observed that the behavior of public transport users is significantly influenced by past victimization experiences, prompting measures for greater protection to be sought. The results of this study allow for a better understanding of how men and women feel exposed to violence when using public transport and can contribute to the creation of public policies to promote safety. Additionally, they can assist security authorities in directing and concentrating police efforts more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]