The impact of fear on young people’s mobility

Vania Ceccato,Per Näsman,Linda Langefors

doi:10.1177/14773708211013299

Vania Ceccato, Per Näsman + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/14773708211013299

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Abstract

This study makes use of a dataset recently collected among young people in Stockholm, Sweden ( N = 1122), to investigate the impact of fear on young people’s mobility and precautionary behaviour, after controlling for previous victimization as well as situational characteristics of daily trips. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and logistic regression models underlie the methodology of the study. Previous victimization, especially for sexual crimes, triggers precautionary behaviour among young people using trains and the metro. Signs of poorly maintained transit environments also affect young riders’ mobility patterns, as they state that they avoid particular stations or routes at particular times. Informed by principles of environmental criminology and the theory of fear of crime, the implications of the findings for both theory and practice are discussed.

Highlights

I avoid a few bus lines, pick bus stops and don’t wear jewellery
This article aims at contributing to this research field by investigating the nature of the precautionary measures taken by young people while in transit, in particular when they avoid certain places and/or certain times
We focus on these two types of precautionary measures, because they were the most common expressions of fear declared by the young riders: time and space avoidance, such as avoiding taking the bus at certain times of the day or avoiding certain routes

Summary

Introduction

I avoid a few bus lines, pick bus stops and don’t wear jewellery. I pay attention to how I dress and try to travel during daytime only, or with another person. I always keep an eye on my belongings, holding my mobile phone in my hand just in case, and don’t wear headphones when I travel in the evening. As the above quotes from a sample of university students indicate, if young people do not feel safe, they manage risks by taking precautionary measures to carry on with their daily lives. Scholars around the world have expressed worry about how perceptions of poor safety are debilitating, especially among young

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