According to the research experience there is a relationship between the macro-level economic factors and crime, with the research results, however, being mixed. Surveys have also shown that there is no equal intra-city distribution of fear of crime. In this context, the use of modern models of mapping and spatial analysis of crime and fear of crime have contributed significantly to the better understanding of the dynamics between the socioeconomic factors, crime and insecurity in the urban environment.
This study, conducted in the frame of the project “Spatial aspects of Crime and insecurity in the era of economic crisis: Trends, dimensions and correlations” project (funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation), aims to examine the evolution of crime and fear of crime during the period of the economic crisis and beyond in Greece and especially in the region of Athens. For this purpose, a survey was conducted at a municipality department level in the municipalities of Athens, Philothei-Psychiko and Korydallos. The relationship between the macro-economic factors and the evolution of criminality and fear of crime has been statistically investigated and spatially analyzed at a municipality department level through a series of choropleth and spatial autocorrelation maps.

Measuring attitudes with vignettes is frequently based on the assumption that the presented context information facilitates a better imagination of topics under study, serving for more valid responses as compared to more usual questionnaire methods. In this study, we focus on the presentation format of vignettes and assume that in particular the presentation of photo vignettes facilitates a close context approximation, hereby taking fear of crime from the perspective of broken windows theory as an example of use. A split ballot experiment within the framework of a cross-sectional online survey introduced a variation of the presentation format of a factorial survey experiment and allowed for measuring the difference between using either written vignettes or photo vignettes. While the split ballot experiment used a between-subjects design, each factorial survey experiment used a within-subjects design. The reported level of feelings of unsafety serves as a measure of fear of crime. Results show that, first, all dimensions of the factorial surveys predicted the respective level of fear of crime in both presentation formats in the direction expected by broken windows theory. Second, presentation format-specific differences were particularly observed for dimensions representing physical features of the setting, such as darkness. We finally discuss methodological implications of these results..

Introduction: The SENSOC project focuses on a multi-cultural neighbourhood in Ghent (Belgium), characterized by high social apartment blocks and a concentration of diverse and often very vulnerable inhabitants. Feelings of unsafety, disorder and poor liveability have been frequently reported in the area. The SENSOC project was established to enhance the sense of safety in the neighbourhood, by means of targeted technical interventions. The aim is twofold: (1) mapping the feelings of unsafety in the area and (2) propose technological solutions to improve the safety feelings, through the method of cocreation with neighbourhood ‘users’ (i.e. persons living, working or spending other time in the neighbourhood).

Methods: A crime mapping was performed via 1545 systematic social observations spread over 24 locations in the neighbourhood. Observations took place during one month, every day between 8 am and 12 pm. Additionally, 213 qualitative in depth-interviews were administered in the neighbourhood. Based on the results of the crime mapping, three locations were targeted, focusing on one type of problem each: street waste, vandalism and social disorder. The results of the crime mapping were used to inform cocreation sessions. Two rounds of cocreation sessions were held per location, in which experiences and solutions were discussed in cocreation with neighbourhood users.

Results: Three technical solutions were selected and are currently in an experimental testing phase. Results from finished parts of the project, the crime mapping and the cocreation sessions, will be presented.

Safety and security in public space have been the subject of social scientific research for a long time. While the field was dominated by classical approaches to the explanation of crime-related feelings of (in-)security in public space, approaches that focus on the processes of the emergence of fear of crime where suggested more recently. In the context of these approaches, the development and application of suitable methods is necessary.. Visual methods for analysing the socio-spatial conditions of fear of crime have been developed and tested in order to take into account how situations in public space are perceived by the people who constitute this space (Havekes et al., 2013). The factorial survey method can be used to investigate the influence of physical disorder and social incivilities on the development of fear of crime. In factorial surveys, hypothetical situations (so-called vignettes) are systematically varied along an experimental design and presented to respondents in order to capture attitudes, intentions and judgements (Auspurg & Hinz, 2015). So far, a number of studies have identified differences between a verbal and a visual presentation of vignettes (Eifler & Petzold, 2022).. Against this background, we aim at an advancement of using visual vignettes in factorial surveys to study the processes of “seeing disorder” (Sampson & Raudenbush, 2004). In the present study, we asked whether respondents direct their perception of vignettes to precisely those features of the depicted situations that are varied in the experimental design. For this purpose, the eye movements of the respondents were examined using eye-tracking methods. These methods offer the unique possibility of detecting exactly those aspects of the perception of spatial situations that are neglected in conventional, Likert-scale-based measurements and have been rarely used so far. Guedes et al. (2014) show that negative images (i.e. a narrow street with graffiti at night) capture more attention comparing to positive pictures. An eye-tracking study by Crosby and Hermens (2019) reveals that, when judging images for safety and security, participants tend to fixate for longer on areas that could reveal the presence of other people.. The present study examines people’s eye movements while they judge scenes for fear of crime. As part of a visual factorial survey with 32 vignettes, we analysed the gaze movements of 12 participants in an eye-tracking study and compared the eye movements with their situationally expressed fear of crime. The lecture will present the central measurement values, interprets and discusses the results with regard to the emergence of fear of crime in public space..