Understanding fear of crime
Society's Fear of Crime and Insecurity
People's fear of crime is not confined to public transport. National and local surveys about quality of life in general, and perceptions of crime in particular, reveal that fear of crime is high on people's list of concerns. The British Crime Survey [BCS] is a national study, conducted periodically, of people's experiences of crime and their fears. Around a third of people feel unsafe out alone after dark, a figure that rises to a half in inner cities. Women feel much less safe than men, and older people feel progressively less safe than younger people.
While it is unlikely that anyone makes a statistical calculation of the likelihood of being a victim of a particular crime, the evidence suggests that they do make some sort of assessment. This appears to be based partly on the crime level in the area, partly on their own experiences and observations, and partly on the experiences of family and friends. Fear of crime is significantly higher in areas where actual crime levels are also higher, and those who have experienced crime - or know of someone who has - are more likely to be fearful than those who do not. And people also make an assessment of their own physical vulnerability. As the BCS concludes: 'those most susceptible to the consequences of crime worry more than others about becoming victims'.
The media are also responsible for contributing to the information upon which we base our assessment of risk. One piece of research into press coverage found that those people who read the tabloids with the most sensational accounts also express the highest levels of fear.
Fear of Crime on Public Transport
Research commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Transport & the Regions reported in 1996 on people's fear of crime on public transport. This research, conducted nationally on bus, rail, underground and tram; in urban, suburban and rural locations; and on the infrastructure as well as on vehicles, confirmed many of the findings of local surveys, and provides a detailed - and at times complex - picture of the issues which contribute to passenger perceptions.
Despite low levels of recorded crime on public transport, levels of fear are high. This may at least in part be because so many things that do happen do not get reported to staff or the police, and so do not appear in the statistics, but do contribute to people's perceptions.
In common with fear of crime in general, women passengers report higher levels of fear than do men. And while women tend to fear an encounter with a lone man, men are more likely to fear groups or gangs of other men. This is probably related to their knowledge that in wider society women face a higher risk of being a victim of a sexual offence committed by a man alone, while men are more likely to be the victim of violence from other men.
Fear is much greater at night on public transport, for both men and women. This is partly a feature of darkness, partly because there are likely to be fewer people about, and partly because of the greater likelihood of encountering people who have been drinking and who will be travelling in rowdy groups or gangs. As in society generally, fear is greatest in urban areas [especially London] and least in rural areas.
Black and ethnic minorities express significantly higher levels of fear on public transport than do white people, a fact that may be attributable to higher levels of harassment experienced more widely by them.
Young people have similar fears to adults while using public transport, with the added fact that they are most likely to be victimised, by other young people and by adults. And young people and people with learning difficulties appear to be influenced by their parents and carers, with the result that some are 'protected' from using public transport. This has implications for future travel patterns, in that a generation of people with learned fears may be emerging, who are more likely to be dependent on the private car.
Where and Why do People Feel Most Insecure?
The research sought to identify where exactly people feel most and least secure. The idea that fears and insecurities can be identified as arising in one part of the journey above the rest is appealing, especially in a world of scarce resources where measures need to be targeted to best effect. Waiting and walking were generally felt to be more insecure than on vehicle, but the differences were not so great that operators and other service providers can afford to improve only one aspect of the journey at the expense of the others.
A sense of isolation creates unease. The research confirmed that people feel most unsafe in underground passageways, side streets around stations, and in multi storey car parks - all places where people may feel cut off from other people. But the presence of othes is not always perceived as reassuring. People who have been drinking are felt to be threatening, because of their unpredictable behaviour and the potential for violence. Groups of young people can be intimidating, especially if they are rowdy, because of the potential for unruliness, jostling, and possible violence.
Aspects of the physical environment, such as poor lighting, were found to enhance feelings of vulnerability. And graffiti, damage, litter and other signs of neglect signal to passengers a lack of control of the environment, and contribute to feelings of fear. Lack of familiarity with an area or the mode of transport contributes significantly to people's feelings of personal security, so that strangers to an area or to public transport feel more vulnerable than those who know their way around.
And finally, having experienced or seen an incident while travelling was found to contribute significantly to levels of fear in the future.
How does Fear Affect People's use of Public Transport?
The research concluded that people take precautions against crime and fear, such as not travelling alone, avoiding certain places, and sitting near the driver. And they make choices about the mode of transport they will use for a journey, with personal security being a factor in making that choice, together with cost and convenience. There is a rise in the number of people using taxis in the evening, arguably directly related to the increased fear after dark. A taxi takes the passenger from door to door, and hence avoids the waiting and walking.
People avoid using public transport, either at certain times [at night] or at all, because of fears for personal security. The research estimates the potential for increasing patronage as a result of introducing an appropriate package of measures to be an overall increase of 10.5% in trips. A substantial number of these additional trips would be likely to be taken in off-peak hours, approximately a third being in the evenings.
Copies of the full report, 'Perceptions of Safety from Crime on Public Transport' are available from:
DETR
Mobility Unit
Room 1/11
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DR
mu.detr@gtnet.gov.uk
