For years, these acts occupied a "legislative gap," often treated as minor misdemeanors with insignificant penalties. However, following public outcry over severe incidents in 2017 and 2018, Brazil enacted Law 13.718/2018 , which formally criminalized sexual harassment importunação sexual Definition
: Newer electric and articulated buses feature wider central aisles, allowing passengers to move past one another without forced body friction.
Addressing Public Transport Harassment: Understanding and Combating "Encoxada" in Buses (Fixed) encoxada in bus fixed
Modernizing the vehicles themselves has proven to be one of the most effective deterrents against transit harassment.
Legal systems that have successfully addressed this issue have instituted explicit statutes classifying non-consensual public touching as a severe criminal offense rather than a minor misdemeanor. This ensures appropriate legal penalties and simplifies the reporting and prosecution process. Strategic Comparison of Transit Interventions For years, these acts occupied a "legislative gap,"
: Adding vertical grab bars at varying heights encourages standing passengers to face different directions and creates natural physical barriers between individuals. 3. Digital Reporting Systems and Silent Alarms
These numbers are likely just the tip of the iceberg. A staggering of these incidents are believed to go unreported. This is often due to fear, shame, or the belief that reporting will lead to nothing. The creation of dedicated reporting systems aims to break this cycle of silence. Legal systems that have successfully addressed this issue
In 2021, Mexico City reclassified non-consensual frotteurism (the clinical term for rubbing against a person for sexual gratification) as a serious crime, punishable by up to four years in prison—even without penetration.