“Because anyone can misuse this (a gun) and they can use it for weapon”: A Photovoice Exploration of Reasons Why Female Adolescents Feel Unsafe in Rural and Suburban Communities

Abstract

Adolescents' perceptions of safety vary by community contexts. While much is known about how violence activities and disadvantaged neighborhood environments harm youth's safe feelings in urban and high-crime areas, few studies have evaluated the extent to which environmental factors impact adolescents' perceptions of safety in rural areas. Moreover, although females tend to perceive their community as unsafe and are more likely to be impacted by violence and crimes than males, there is a dearth of research on what neighborhood features and characteristics can cause safety concerns among girls. To bridge the literature gaps, this study has utilized photovoice to explore risk factors contributing to female adolescents' unsafe perceptions in rural and suburban areas. While seven girls were recruited in West Central Florida using both online and in-person strategies, five of them (12–14 years of age) completed a training session, photo-taking activities, and the follow-up photo discussions. Photo discussions were guided by a revised SHOWeD framework and audio recorded. Abridged transcripts were used to match quotes with corresponding photos. A code book was developed for coding process. Thematic analysis was conducted, and four main themes were identified. In this study a total of 44 photos were collected from 5 female participants living in the rural and suburban communities. The main themes associated their unsafe feelings included the following: (1) traffic-related concerns, such as car crashes, speeding, in-vehicle distractions, improper road design, and unsafe road sharing; (2) disadvantaged community environments, such as broken infrastructure and constructions; (3) human trafficking and sexual offenders; and (4) gun-related issues, such as misuse of a gun as weapon and mass shootings. This photovoice study indicates researchers and professionals should focus on traffic issues and negative impacts on adolescents' safe feelings in rural and suburban areas. Media reports on gun violence and human trafficking may cause safety concerns among girls living in low-crime communities. Therefore targeted health promotion programs aiming to improve community traffic safety, facilitate clean physical environments, and limit the exposure to media reports on gun violence and human trafficking should be developed to increase female adolescents' perceptions of safety in rural and suburban areas.