While the Nordics have long acted as champions of gender equality, there is still a need for a more nuanced understanding of gendered differences in safety and well-being. A large body of research on masculinity and fear has found men to express fear in public space to a lesser extent than women, perpetuating a notion of men as ‘fearless’. In this study, we challenge this notion by seeking a better understanding of men's overall fear of victimization as well as how fear impacts their behavior where they live, in relation to places, people, and everyday routines. Using statistical methods, chi-square analysis and binary logistic regression, we investigate the nature of men's fear and the effect fear has on their lives using 20,781 answers from the 2020 Stockholm Safety Survey. Findings indicate that while men are generally less fearful than women, intersections between respondents' gender, income level, and ethnic background show a complementary picture. Foreign-born and low-income resident men expressed similar or even higher levels of neighborhood fear than women. Additionally, the drivers of men's general fear of crime and neighborhood-related fear were found to differ, where results for Swedish-born and foreign-born men show opposing patterns for each measure. Men who live in neighborhoods with more physical disorder and low social cohesion are also more likely to avoid places and engagement with people where they live, as well as changing routine activities. The paper finishes with recommendations for future research.

Purpose – The paper aims to investigate the effect of GDP growth on crime and to test the hypothesis ofnonlinearity. Additionally, we estimate the interaction between GDP and income inequality and examine itsimpact on the relationship between GDP and homicide rates.Design/methodology/approach – The study utilizes panel data from the Organization for EconomicCooperation and Development (OECD), spanning the period from 2000 to 2018 and estimates dynamic panelGMM models.Findings – We found a nonlinear relationship between GDP and homicide rates, indicating a dual effect ofGDP on the occurrence of lethal crimes. Moreover, income inequality conditions the effect of GDP onhomicide rates, exerting a significant influence. We conclude that in contexts characterized by high levelsof income inequality, GDP growth is more effective in reducing crime, as there is greater potential forimprovement.Originality/value – This paper contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the complexnonlinearity between economic conditions, income inequality and homicide rates.

Objectives: This study examines how different lighting scenarios, involving variations in intensity and/or colour, influence safety perceptions on metro station platforms and in passages.

Methods: Physical filters were applied to the station’s lighting to create different scenarios, which were compared to baseline conditions using MANOVA, correlation, and regression models. The experiment involved 92 participants—67 university students and 25 older individuals with visual impairments. After informed consent and a visual performance assessment, participants experienced each lighting condition in two sequences, including wash-outs.

Results: “Safety” is associated with “comfort” and “pleasantness” and less with “colour” related emotional responses. On platforms, dimmed neutral lighting does not lower safety perceptions compared to the neutral baseline. In passages, the reduction in safety scores under treated lighting passages remains significant even after controlling for participants’ gender, crime exposure, disabilities, and test order. Participants with visual impairments consistently reported lower perceived safety, particularly in passages with reduced, coloured lighting. The study underscores the importance of inclusive lighting design and calls for further experimental CPTED research on minimum lighting thresholds, emphasising the need to disentangle the effects of colour from intensity when assessing lighting’s impact on safety.

This chapter reports the results of two independent and non-identical surveys: one in Sweden and the other in India. They show unique evidence of women’s transit safety in rural contexts. While safety concerns can differ based on the particular location and its distinct features, the real-life experiences of women documented here offer fresh perspectives on their victimisation patterns and safety perceptions in rural areas. These insights can contribute to international scholarship aimed at enhancing understanding of women’s safety in these two distinct contexts.

This chapter reports on findings of two small sample surveys covering aspects of crime, safety and crime prevention practices in rural areas in Brazil. The first survey targeted the entire population of a small rural municipality in Minas Gerais state while the second one is a convenience sample of farmers across the country. The chapter provides a glimpse of the most pressing safety issues and calls for further research to unravel the safety challenges faced by those living in rural areas in one of the largest countries in South America.

Using answers from two victimisation surveys, this chapter reports farmers’ experiences of victimisation and fear of crime in Sweden. Farmers can be exposed to various forms of crimes, some typically rural, from thefts (of machinery and fertilisers) and vandalism to threats and violence because of the activities they perform. Crime prevention practices as well as their confidence in the police are also discussed in the Swedish rural context. Based on responses from another survey, the chapter focuses on animal farmers (which are enterprises holding different types of animals for the production of food and derivates such as fur, skin, and medical products) directed to commercialisation. This group of farmers is of particular importance because they have become a target of harassment, assault and other types of crimes linked to animal rights activism. The chapter closes by making recommendations for both research and practice in the field of rural criminology.

Although the influence of the built environment on both crime and people’s safety perceptions is well documented in the international literature, less evidence is found regarding the link between urban safety perceptions and crime occurrence. In this article, we investigate the potential relationship between crime and visual perceived safety (VPS), using Stockholm, Sweden as a case. Central to the study is the VPS score, a detailed measure of VPS and situational fear, created by combining a deep learning model with a data set of local street view images and citizen impressions. We examine this measure together with traditional crime records to compare the city’s distribution of safety and crime. First, geographical patterns and spatial clusters of high and low levels of crime and VPS were detected. Then, drawing from principles of environmental criminology, a spatial regression was used to examine the relationship between the VPS score and crime, controlling for sociodemographics and land-use factors. Findings show that crime rates of different types are significant predictors of poor VPS, but mismatching geographies of perceived safety and crime are common. The article discusses the findings and finishes by highlighting the impact of these results for research and practice.

Building on previous work in rural criminology, this book casts a global and comparative look across 19 countries, drawing on themes of crime and victimisation, safety and fear, practices of policing and police trust, and crime prevention practices.

Combining reports on survey findings, country case studies, and crosscutting analyses, Crime, Peoples and Places offers empirical, theoretical, and policy-oriented contributions to the field of rural criminology, adopting the notion of a rural-urban continuum that captures the nuances of places of varied nature, spanning from remote and desolate spaces to accessible and connected environments of the urban fringe. The book examines the challenges of areas on the rural-urban continuum that are in constant transformation, given local and global influences, including the most recent developments in countries of the Global South. It identifies commonalities and disparities between different country cases, draws conclusions over global evidence, and highlights how partnerships, collaboration, and unity in crime prevention action can yield dividends for all people, regardless of age, gender, or whether they live in urban or rural areas.

Perceived neighborhood safety significantly affects the quality of life and social cohesion of communities. However, the perspectives of non-residents are often neglected, despite their potential influence on local views. This study addresses this gap by examining how locals (residents and frequent visitors) and outsiders (non-visitors) perceive safety in the largely stigmatized Stockholm district of Järva. We use a digital participatory mapping tool that allows citizens to share safety perceptions and experiences of victimization interactively. Surveying 592 respondents and using a mixed-methods approach, the study investigates the environmental, social, and emotional factors shaping these perceptions. Findings highlight how stigma, place attachment, and familiarity play an important role in moderating safety concerns, as even minor first-hand experience with Järva was linked to improved neighborhood perception. The study concludes by reflecting upon the importance of addressing territorial stigma and promoting local engagement to improve local and outsider safety perceptions.

This chapter maps the key issues identified in the 19 country studies outlined in earlier chapters and synthesise recommendations for both additional research and for policy and practice. A central aim of chapters in this volume has been two-fold: first, to produce empirical data on rural and farm crime internationally; and second, to improve conceptual and analytical frameworks to assess crime in rural settings – crime which is regularly stereotyped. Offered in this chapter is a road map for scholars seeking to expand on the research contained in this volume, and for practitioners keen to respond to crime and improve safety in rural areas. This chapter is structured around common issues, proposals for future research and recommendations for new policy and practice as well as reform.