Ep 55: Public Safety, Performative Protection and the 'Good Guy' Myth with Karen Whybro

We're back! And in this episode, we speak with Women's safety consultant, Karen Whybro, about the gap between public safety as it’s promised, and how it’s actually experienced.We begin with the Sarah Everard vigil, and the moment that became a catalyst for Karen: laying flowers on Mother’s Day under the threat of a £10,000 fine, and her direct encounter with the police force. From there, the conversation opens out into a broader critique of institutional responses to women’s safety – such as why the Met police choose to advise women to 'flag down a bus' rather than actively respond to allegations against their own staff.The discussion then turns to the cultural framing of violence as something that's inevitable; as well as the persistent myth of the “good guy,” and how narratives of male protection can obscure the deeper work of prevention.We close by asking what meaningful change could look like — from individual actions to systemic shifts — and whether a more preventative, accountable model of safety is within reach.Below are some of the resources Karen referenced during the episode. We unfortunately can't share images here, but have shared on our Instagram: https://www.karen-whybro.co.uk/https://inews.co.uk/news/casey-report-police-officers-rape-culture-met-change-2226230