Risk perception as mediator in perceptions of neighbourhood disorder and safety about victimisation

Acuna‐Rivera, Marcela; Brown, Jennifer; Uzzell, David

doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2014.05.002

Cited by 19 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…We first examine whether primary and secondary victims of violence are more worried about crime than nonvictims and, if they are, whether seemingly elevated perceptions of risk among victims explain some or all of the statistical effects. Following recent criminological research into the psychology of risk, we define subjective risk as perceptions of the likelihood and controllability of the uncertain and undesirable event, as well as perceptions of the impact of the event if it were to occur (see, inter alia, Acuña-Rivera, Brown, & Uzzell, 2014;Custers & Van den Bulck, 2012;Ireland, 2011;Jackson, 2006Jackson, , 2009Killias, 1990;Killias & Clerici, 2000;Shippee, 2013;Warr, 1987;Warr & Stafford, 1983). Conceiving of personal threat as not just one's subjective probability of a negative uncertain event, but also one's beliefs about its controllability and consequences, we examine whether victims of violence (compared with nonvictims) tend to see violence as more likely, as more consequential for the victim, and as more difficult to control.…”

Section: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Threatened by Violence

Jackson

Gouseti

2016

J Interpers Violence

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Stranger violence can have a variety of different physical, psychological, social, and economic effects on the victim. In this article, we address one possible impact, namely, a heightened sense of uncertainty, risk, and fear of violent crime. Drawing on recent advances in the psychology of risk, we make three contributions. First, we differentiate in our analysis between primary experience of violence (where the individual in question has been attacked by a stranger in the local streets) and secondary experience of violence (where the individual knows somebody who has been attacked in the local streets by a stranger). Second, we assess whether risk perception (beliefs about the likelihood, impact, and controllability of future victimization) mediates the empirical links between primary and secondary experience of violence and worry about violent crime. Finally, we examine whether victimization experience seems to have a greater impact on risk perception and worry among people with a high need for cognitive closure (who are averse to uncertainty and desire order and structure in their lives). Our findings indicate a number of potentially important mediating and moderating effects regarding the impact of stranger violence on fear of violent crime. We conclude with some implications for research and policy.

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Section: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Threatened by Violence

Jackson

Gouseti

2016

J Interpers Violence

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“…At its core, the broken‐windows theory underlines the importance of physical order for the emergence of deviant behavior and the perception of social disorder. For example, Acuña‐Rivera, Brown, and Uzzell () assessed study participants’ risk perception of three locations on the basis of photographs and found that “the more disordered a place is perceived [to be,] the more a person relies on the perception of risk to estimate how safe she or he might be in it (p. 73) and that the absence of physical disorder is a strong predictor of perceived safety (pp. 70–71).…”

Section: State Of the Artmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of social disorder in public spaces in a disadvantaged neighborhood: The example of Cologne-Chorweiler

Kurtenbach

2017

J. Community Psychol.

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Residents of segregated neighborhoods perceive social disorder in their neighborhoods differently. Starting from the broken-windows theory and the social organization approach, the paper develops a deeper understanding of the role of place for the perception of social disorder. Participant structural observations were conducted, along with a photo survey and collection of ethnographic data about six locations within the studied neighborhood. Comparison of perceptions of the locations and social practices within them shows that social disorder is perceived not by residents who live directly at the location, but by others. This pattern is independent of the type and intensity of social disorder observed. INTRODUCTIONResidents of disadvantaged neighborhoods possess deep knowledge of their communities and districts and are able to avoid dangerous local situations better than outsiders (Sharkey, 2006). Nonetheless, residents' fuzzy mental maps are not necessarily congruent with one another, and perceptions of deviant behavior in their neighborhood are closely related to personal and spatial dimensions. For example, residents of a block with high crime rates may still feel safe in their homes and perceive other parts of their neighborhood as a threat. As a result, personal spatial dimensions should be taken into account in developing a better understanding of perceptions of deviant behavior and fear within segregated neighborhoods.The goal of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of place-related perceptions of disorder within segregated neighborhoods. This goal is important because place-related differences in use or perception have not been studied systematically. The research question is: What role does an individual's place of residence in a given neighborhood play in their perception of social and physical disorder? Social disorder refers to deviant behavior, including aggression. Physical disorder is related to physical markers, like trash or façades in a poor state of repair. To answer the research question, a study employing a mixed-method design, which combines quantitative data with an ethnographic approach, was conducted in a poor and ethnically diverse neighborhood in Germany. J. Community Psychol. 2017;45:940-956. wileyonlineliberary.com/journal/jcop c 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 940 KURTENBACH 941 2 STATE OF THE ARTA wide range of approaches have taken perceptions of space into account in assessing behavior. I concentrate on the two approaches that relate to the causes and consequences of perceptions of social disorder: the broken-windows theory and the social organization approach.The broken-windows theory was formulated by Wilson and Kelling (1982), building on the results of an experiment by Zimbardo (1969), who showed that an abandoned car was demolished much more quickly in an urban neighborhood with signs of physical disorder than in a suburban environment without those incivilities. The basic assumption of the theory is that signs of physical disorder lead to the legitimization of ...

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“…Vulnerability interacts with other factors to determine an individual's perceived safety. For example, new evidence shows perceived vulnerability to be the strongest predictor and mediator of the relationship between perceived disorder in a place and perceived safety (Acuña-Rivera, Brown, & Uzzell, 2014). The authors indicate that the more disordered a place is perceived to be, the more a person relies on the perception of risk to estimate how safe she/he might be.…”

Section: Agementioning

confidence: 99%

The nature of perceived safety in rural areas

Ceccato¹

2015

Rural Crime and Community Safety

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Imagine that some farmers declare they are worried about having their livestock stolen. Should this be enough to influence crime prevention efforts by the local police force? Or consider the case of a woman who is in fear because of constant threats from her violent partner. Should her fear be taken seriously by workers in social services or the police to avoid something more serious happening? Fear of crime is not typically considered a conventional policing matter and seems to be even less of an issue in rural communities. One reason for this neglect is that the police, as well as those who devote their time to crime prevention, often work reactively, requiring an offense to be committed before any action can be taken. Another problem is that fear (of crime) may be triggered by the trauma of victimization, though that is not its only source. Anxieties are fed by multi-scale factors. This chapter examines how the multifaceted nature of fear makes perceived safety a difficult issue to tackle. Instead of denying such complexity, this chapter attempts to provide examples of how such anxieties form and are associated with the fear of crime in rural environments in Sweden. "Perceived safety" is a general concept used in this chapter to characterize both fear of crime and other overall anxieties, often measured by safety and crime victims' surveys.Lack of perceived safety -or, more specifically, fear of crime -has been the subject of interdisciplinary research for many decades, but the results are far from unproblematic. Crime victims' surveys and interviews are often the basis of this type of research, which has been criticized for offering a shallow picture of what fear is actually is. This chapter examines fear as an informative resource that may improve quality of life for those living in rural communities. If fear is a reflection of everyday life experiences, what are those experiences in rural communities?The nature of perceived safety in rural areas Rural areas are regarded worldwide as relatively safer environments than urban areas (

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Risk perception as mediator in perceptions of neighbourhood disorder and safety about victimisation

Cited by 19 publications

References 63 publications

Threatened by Violence

Threatened by Violence

Perceptions of social disorder in public spaces in a disadvantaged neighborhood: The example of Cologne-Chorweiler

The nature of perceived safety in rural areas

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