Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • The Security Leadership Issue
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Security NewswireFire & Life SafetyPhysical Security

Fear of Crime is Contagious, Study Says

Security newswire default
July 14, 2017

New research suggests fear of crime is contagious, and can quickly spread among residents of even low-crime communities.

The findings of the study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, help to explain how a generalized fear of crime exists in cities and countries in which crime rates are low. 

“The fear of crime can be considered contagious, because social interaction is the mechanism through which fear is shared and chronically worried populations are created. Even those that have never been a victim of crime can be seriously worried about it,” said study lead Rafael Prieto Curiel (UCL Mathematics).

“Most studies about the fear of crime and perception of security are static observations of the current situation in a particular region or country. We wanted to find out how collective perception of insecurity emerges and changes over time, and how it compares among victims and non-victims of crime,” added Rafael, a former crime analysis mathematician who worked for the police in Mexico City.

The study on the dynamics of the perception of security was developed through a mathematical model that draws on concepts similar to those used for opinion dynamics. A similar technique could be used to understand the dynamics of fear caused by terrorism or public opinion of international migration.

The model simulated the perception of security among a population of 10,000 individuals, who update their perception of security each week. To understand how fear of crime varies across populations three different groups were established to mimic the distribution observed in a city: a large majority statistically immune to crime; a group that experiences a small amount of crime; and a small population that experiences the majority of crimes. 

They found that when individuals that never suffer crime only interact with people from their own group, they feel secure. However, only a small amount of interactions between groups is enough to change their perceptions of security. For instance, when 5% of the interactions occur with people from another group, the model predicts that more than 50% of the individuals who never suffer crime will fear it.

Less change is seen among the other two groups, where it is predicted that roughly 60% of those that rarely suffer any crime and 80% of those that suffer higher rates will be concerned about crime whether they interact within or outside their group. 

The findings also suggest that a decrease in crime rates might have almost no effect on the perception of security. For example, with low crime levels (5% of its regular level) the simulations predict that between 30% to 40% of the population from all three groups will fear crime.

The researchers say that significant changes to the perception of security among those that are immune to crime highlights that the perception that a region is secure is very unstable. It takes only a small amount of crime to create a generalized fear in the population, the study said, and crime rates need to decrease considerably to improve the average perception that a region is secure.

“Fear of crime is not a negative feeling, in fact it creates healthy precautions, like locking the door of our house, but it becomes an issue if it is disproportionate and unmanageable. From a policy perspective, we hope the findings of this study can be used to improve communication and knowledge of crime at regional levels,” concluded Rafael. 

The research was funded by CONACYT Mexico and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program via the FET-Proactive CIMPLEX project.

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0717/120717-fear-crime-maths

KEYWORDS: crime crime rates Security

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Security Leadership and Management
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Cyber Tactics Column
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Technologies & Solutions
    By: Charles Denyer
Subscribe For Free!
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

  • Duty of Care
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Integrating Technology and Physical Security to Advance Duty of Care

Popular Stories

Internal computer parts

Critical Software Vulnerabilities Rose 37% in 2024

Coding

AI Emerges as the Top Concern for Security Leaders

Person working on laptop

Governance in the Age of Citizen Developers and AI

Half open laptop

“Luigi Was Right”: A Look at the Website Sharing Data on More Than 1,000 Executives

patient at healthcare reception desk

Almost Half of Healthcare Breaches Involved Microsoft 365

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

June 24, 2025

Inside a Modern GSOC: How Anthropic Benchmarks Risk Detection Tools for Speed and Accuracy

For today's security teams, making informed decisions in the first moments of a crisis is critical.

August 27, 2025

Risk Mitigation as a Competitive Edge

In today’s volatile environment, a robust risk management strategy isn’t just a requirement—it’s a foundation for organizational resilience. From cyber threats to climate disruptions, the ability to anticipate, withstand, and adapt to disruption is becoming a hallmark of industry leaders.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Security newswire default

    Study Says Majority of Drivers Don’t Believe Texting While Driving is Dangerous

    See More
  • Security newswire default

    Study Says Engaged Citizens Keep Crime Rates Down

    See More
  • Paper shredder

    Study Says Paper Records is Most Common Type of Data Breach in Hospitals

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9780815378068.jpg.jpg

    Biometrics, Crime and Security

  • 9781138378339.jpg

    Surveillance, Crime and Social Control

  • 9780367259044.jpg

    Understanding Homeland Security: Foundations of Security Policy

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing