Investigating the Implications of Sexual Assaults with Ride-Sharing: A Call for Research

Abstract

Sexual assault rates are increasing with ride-shares. Sexual violence data are often underestimated due to sexual violence cases going unreported and can lead to negative health outcomes. There is no research on the phenomenon of sexual assaults among ride-share users. This manuscript investigates sexual assaults from two ride-share companies and the policies/procedures in place to prevent sexual assaults. The data from two ride-share companies’ previous Safety Reports were compared to see an increase in sexual assaults. The researchers looked at policies and regulations that ride-share companies have to prevent sexual assault. There is a call for research to investigate more in-depth the sexual assaults that have occurred including demographic data, geographic location, global positioning system failure, and the effectiveness of the criminal background checks.

Keywords

sexual assault ride-sharing policies reporting sexual violence consumerism

Introduction

Ridesharing or ride-hailing is the process of connecting riders and drivers through a third party (such as Uber or Lyft). The customer can now request a driver, through an app, to come to the location and take the customer to a selected destination. This process comes with a fee that is managed through a rideshare platform. While many of these ride-sharing platforms have had negative public health outcomes such as traffic fatalities, ambulance use, rates of drunk driving, and occurrence of assaults (i.e., physical assault, verbal assault, and sexual assault) (Brazil & Kirk, 2016; Burtch et al., 2021; Dills & Mulholland, 2018; Moskatel & Slusky, 2019). Uber is available in 85 countries including, the United States, Canada, European Union, Africa, Australia, and Asia (Davis, 2021). Lyft is available in the United States and Canada (Davis, 2021).

Ridesharing and Sexual Assaults

According to Uber’s US Safety Report, from 2017 to 2018, it received 5,981 sexual assault allegations. There were 2,936 sexual assault incidences in 2017 and 3,045 sexual assault incidences in 2018. Nonconsensual touching of a sexual body part was reported in one in every 800,000 trips. This accounts for 1,440 non-consensual touching Uber cases in 2017 and 1,560 nonconsensual touching Uber cases in 2018. According to Uber’s US Safety Report (Uber Technologies, Inc., 2019c), 99.4% of rider reports of non-consensual sexual penetration were reporting the driver as the attacker. Also, 46% of riders reported nonconsensual kissing of a nonsexual body part from the driver of the Uber. In the same report, 72% of attempted nonconsensual sexual penetration reports were made against Uber drivers. There were 2,894 social media mentions that referenced sexual assaults in connection with Uber. In these media mentions, 92% identified the driver as the perpetrator of the sexual assault (Uber Technologies, Inc., 2019c).

Another popular ride-sharing company, Lyft, had 1,096 sexual assault incidences in 2017 and 1,255 sexual assault incidences in 2018. In 2019, Lyft reported 1,807 sexual assault incidences, an increase from 2017 to 2018 (Lyft, n.d.a). Nonconsensual touching of a sexual body part was reported in 1 in every 800,000 trips with Lyft (n.d.a). Rates of sexual assault, for Lyft, have constantly increased every year since 2017. Nonconsensual touching of a sexual body part incidences (n = 1041) almost doubled in 2019 compared to the number of incidences (n = 661) in 2018 (Lyft, n.d.a). From 2018 to 2019, Lyft has had an increase in all five categories of sexual assaults (Lyft, n.d.a).

Ride-Share Policies and Procedures for Sexual Assault

According to Uber Technologies, Inc. (2019b), a global positioning system (GPS) is used to track trips, and if the trip goes off course, the app initiates a RideCheck to ask users if everything is all right. This RideCheck is shown on both the rider’s and driver’s phones, and it allows either user to contact the Uber Safety Line or local authorities (Kansal, 2019). Uber also has a feature that allows users who feel unsafe during a trip to discreetly alert Uber and then after the ride, a Safety Team member reaches out to the user to handle the report (Uber Technologies, Inc., 2022d). Uber also requires drivers to take new profile pictures regularly to ensure riders’ ability to check for the correct driver (Uber Technologies, Inc., 2022b). Uber has community guidelines that state touching anyone while using Uber is not permitted (Uber Technologies, Inc., 2022h). Also, Uber takes precautions by hiding riders’ pick-up and drop-off locations from drivers’ trip history once the ride is completed (Uber Technologies, Inc., 2022f). To help prevent sexual assaults, Uber collaborates with NO MORE to provide tips to their users, such as matching the license plate number, car make and model, and driver photo before getting into a car after requesting a ride, making plans to leave in pairs or as a group with the people you are out with, and having drivers ask riders if they are all right when the driver notices someone looking distressed or uncomfortable (Uber Technologies, Inc., 2022g).

According to Lyft, users have the option to activate American District Telegraph (ADT) Security Systems, where ADT will call the user, and if the user does not answer their phone, ADT contacts 911 and shares the user’s drop-off location. ADT also shares the Lyft driver’s vehicle’s make, model, and license plate number (Lyft, 2022a, 2022d). Lyft also requires all their drivers to complete safety education training they provide through a partnership with the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) (Lyft, 2022c). Lyft also uses GPS location tracking to see when a ride stops for an unusual length of time or too soon and will reach out to the users to check if something is wrong (Lyft, 2022b).

Both Uber and Lyft state that there is no required arbitration for individual claims of sexual assault and/or harassment, and that users who are victims of sexual assault are permitted to bring their individual claims to court (Lyft, 2022c; Uber Technologies, Inc., 2022a). Both companies also require drivers to pass a background check prior to their first ride and continue to pass annual background checks. Also, both ride-share companies claim to continuously scan data sources for any disqualifying convictions (Lyft, 2022b; Uber Technologies, Inc., 2022b).

Uber and Lyft have features on the apps that allow users to send 911 dispatches of their location and trip details. Lyft’s “alert 911 silently” option ensures that users are not contacted by phone unless they request it (Lyft, 2022a; Uber Technologies, Inc., 2019b, 2022). Uber’s emergency button requires users to call 911 for their trip details to be sent to 911 dispatchers (Uber Technologies, Inc., 2019a). Another feature that the apps have in common is that both have features that allow consumers to share trip details with anyone they want (Uber Technologies, Inc., 2022e). Uber states that the company may deactivate accounts that receive low user ratings repeatedly, and Lyft ensures that riders do not get matched with drivers that have been given three or fewer star user ratings (Lyft, 2022b; Uber Technologies, Inc., 2022c).

When it comes to consumers reporting sexual violence during their ride, Lyft states that any credible complaints will lead to the termination of the user’s access to ride with the company or terminate the driver’s ability to drive with Lyft (n.d.b). Uber does not go into details about what happens after a consumer reports the sexual violence in the app such as whether the driver is terminated or unable to drive with the company (Uber, 2022a). Also, does not specify if legal action or any repercussions will be taken against the driver if the consumer was to commit sexual violence against the driver (Uber, 2022a).

On December 2, 2021, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a settlement with Uber on reporting data on sexual harassment and assault. The resolve of an Order to Show Cause was between Uber and the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network for failing to respond to CPUC’s ruling on requesting information regarding sexual assaults and harassment. Uber will now be required to provide information on sexual assaults and harassment to CPUC and to create an opt-in process for survivors to make more information on their assault available to CPUC, but ride-share companies are still not transparent with the data that are shared with the public (Public Utilities Commission of the State of California, 2021). The data provided in these reports are only the number of assaults among the five categories.

Call for Research

Both ride-share companies also have driver background checks and research is needed to determine if the drivers who commit sexual assault have passed a background check. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services do not have access to all U.S. citizens’ criminal history (United States Citizen and Immigration Services, 2005). This may mean that the U.S. citizen could have a sexual assault case or be found guilty, and the charge did not show up on the criminal background check. There is doubt that if a federal government agency cannot have all the criminal history of U.S. citizens private-ride shares would have more access to such information. Furthermore, the driver could have a pattern of unreported abusive behavior that would not show up on a background check. Also, there is no information provided from ride-share companies on how many drivers failed the background checks. According to RAINN, out of every 1,000 sexual assaults, 975 perpetrators will walk free (RAINN, 2022). Since those who walk free from being found guilty of sexual assaults, there is a high chance that these individuals would be eligible to drive for a private ride-share company. There are also limits, in some states, on the type of information that can be found on criminal background checks (Love & Norris, 2020). Also, the age when the offense occurred can dictate whether the sexual assault appears on an individual’s criminal employment background check. Some states also can only access criminal records in the last 10 years during a criminal employment background check. The lack of reliability that employment background checks have supports the need for research to see whether sexual assaults are committed by drivers with a previous criminal background. Also, there is little evidence that shows, in the case of sexual abuse, that criminal background checks are effective in preventing sexual abuse (Finkelhor, 2009).

Ride-share companies do not provide data on the location or time of these sexual assaults occur. Including this data could provide spatial research on the location of the assaults such as whether the assault occurred on the route, at the drop-off location, or off the predetermined route to the drop-off location. The data can provide researchers with information on whether there are higher proportions of sexual assault in certain areas. Using geographical data can provide a spatial mapping of sexual assault crimes to see whether there are spatial clusters of sexual assault crimes. One study used locations of rapes to do spatial mapping to determine offending patterns and identify areas with a high prevalence of sexual assault crimes (Lovell et al., 2022). Also, providing the time of the assault can inform researchers of when a higher prevalence of sexual assault occurs.

Ride-share companies also rely on GPS as a safety protocol to be able to locate the route and location of the vehicle. There has been little to no research that identifies how many times GPS has failed during a ride or how many times GPS failed when a sexual assault occurred during the ride. Also, GPS data can help provide spatial patterns in geographic locations where sexual assaults have occurred. GPS monitoring is effective in reducing offenders’ engagement in crimes, but some studies have shown that when there is no GPS monitoring offenders do not perform better and revert to prior offending patterns (Hawkes et al., 2023; Peckenpaugh & Petersilia, 2006).

Ride-share companies do not release demographic data of the survivor of the sexual violence or the perpetrator such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, and education level. The release of demographic data on the offenders of sexual violence and the survivors of sexual violence can lead to more targeted interventions to reduce the rates of sexual violence. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022), one in three women and one in four men have experienced some form of sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetime. When it comes to rape, one in three women and one in four males have experienced rape for the first time between the ages of 11 and 17 years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Previous research has shown that there may be a higher prevalence of sexual violence among women than men, but research is needed to determine whether that phenomenon is true for ride-share sexual assaults. Also, research on the age of the survivor is needed to determine whether there is a certain age group that has a higher prevalence of being victims of sexual assault.

Many of the protocols are for the safety of the rider, but little is provided to prevent a sexual assault against the driver. Since 99.4% of sexual assaults were against the rider, research is needed to determine what form of sexual assault occurred in the 0.6% of sexual assaults against the driver. Data such as the gender of the offender, age of the offender, geographic location, type of sexual assault, GPS failure, and ratings of the rider are needed. Also, more research is needed on safety protocols that can help prevent sexual assaults against drivers.

Conclusion

Sexual assaults have been increasing among ride-share companies where the majority of sexual assaults are from the driver being the aggressor. This manuscript looked at two major ride-share companies, their sexual assault rates, and policies that are meant to increase safety, and in return, reduce the occurrence of sexual assaults. Further research is needed to analyze trends in demographic data, such as age, race/ethnicity, geographic location, and gender. With demographic data, research can analyze where the majority of sexual assaults are occurring, and proper recommendations can be made. Also, future research is needed on GPS failure and the efficacy of criminal background checks with ride-share sexual assaults.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interests with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

ORCID iD

Heather Tillewein

Author Biographies

Heather Tillewein, PhD, MCHES, is an assistant professor at Austin Peay State University and is currently serving her second term as Communication’s Chair for the LGBTQ Health Caucus for the American Public Health Association. Dr. Tillewein also serves on the Committee on Women’s Rights for the LGBTQ Health Caucus. She is also a co-chair for the scientific program and on the continuing education committee for the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. She holds a PhD in Health Education from Southern Illinois University, as well as, her MPH and BSHS from the University of Missouri. Dr. Tillewein has had fellowships with the Harvard Public Health Review Journal and with the Human Sexuality Fellowship for the California Institute of Integral Studies. She has several ongoing projects collaborating with the Kinsey Institute. Her research focuses on health barriers among marginalized sexual identity and gender identity populations.

Destiny Cox is an undergraduate student in public health at Southern Illinois University. Cox’s background includes research in sexual violence and consumerism.

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