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(October 27, 2014) – Holiday travel and airport screening lines can be stressful for everyone. But for some sexual assault survivors, the thought of going through sometimes-intrusive airport security screenings can inspire months of dread.
While there’s no way around the screenings when flying, the Transportation Security Administration says it is making an effort to be more sensitive to the concerns of survivors. TSA has established a helpline and published a guide to dealing with risk of pat-downs and other security techniques.
Here are some other steps TSA recommends once you are at the airport:
At the beginning of the screening:
- Inform the TSA staffer if you have difficulty being touched, suffer from PTSD, stress, anxiety or fear.
- Let the staffer know if there is any reaction that could happen when touched or patted down in a sensitive area.
- You can provide both kinds of information verbally or through a TSA notification card.
- Note that these disclosures do not exempt you from being screened, but serve to help the staffer understand your needs.
During the screening process:
- When requested, a security pat-down can be performed by a TSA officer of the same gender.
- Any traveler can request a private screening, and may be accompanied by a companion of his or her choice.
- Travelers will not be asked to remove or lift any article of clothing.
- Travelers 75 and older may leave their shoes and light jackets on while going through security checkpoints.
- Travelers 12 and younger may also leave their shoes on.
- Certain metal body piercings may set off the metal detector, which will result in additional screening.
- You may be asked to remove body piercings in private as an alternative to a pat-down search.
- As part of explosive trace detection screening, TSA officers may swab your hands.
If you are a frequent traveler, you may want to consider applying for TSA Pre ✓,which speeds up the screening process and allows passengers to be screened without taking off their shoes, belts or light outerwear. Pre ✓is available for US citizens and lawful permanent residents and costs $85 for five years.
For more information, call TSA’s toll-free helpline at 1-855-787-2227, which can give passengers the latest information on screening procedures. It is available from 8am to 11pm ET Monday through Friday, and 9am to 8pm weekends and holidays. Passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing may use Federal Relay 711.
To learn more self-care tips for survivors, click here.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, it’s not your fault. You are not alone. Help is available 24/7 through the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE and online.rainn.org.