This paper addresses subjective insecurity, namely perceptions of (in)security and criminal variables on campus among Portuguese higher education students. Additionally, predictors of perceptions of (in)security and gender differences were also examined. The participants were 775 students and data were collected through the “Diagnosis of Local Security Questionnaire”. Robbery, physical assault, theft, and sexual offenses were the most feared crimes. Additionally, robbery, theft, and public property damage were perceived as the most common on campus. Alcohol/drug consumption and juvenile conflicts/delinquency were the main reasons justifying criminal occurrences. Sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, education, and years of campus attendance, as well as criminal variables (e.g., perceived trend of crime, criminal occurrences, and crime promoters) predicted perceptions of (in)security. Females reported more fear than males of robbery, sexual offenses, physical aggression, and domestic violence. Therefore, preventive measures, including in the social domain and physical spaces, are mandatory to reduce violence on campus.

This study addressed and characterized direct and indirect criminal victimization among college students and examined the associations between victimization and other variables. The participants were 775 students of both genders with a mean age of 21.76 years. Data were collected through self-reports using the “Diagnosis of Local Security Questionnaire”. Overall, 8.6% of the students reported direct victimization, and 39.7% reported indirect victimization. The most reported crimes were robbery and theft, while the least prevalent were sexual offense, domestic violence, and fraud. Most incidents involved a stranger and occurred at night in the street. Direct victimization was associated with gender, age, marital status, student level, attendance status, and institution domain. There were significant associations between indirect victimization and nationality, student type, attendance status, and institution domain. The perception of (in)security was significantly associated with victimization. Therefore, physical and social measures are necessary to reduce crime and increase security.

ResumenEste trabajo presenta los resultados de una evaluación a partir de un estudio exploratorio desarrollado en una comunidad con altos índices de delincuencia en la ciudad de Oporto. Los objetivos del estudio fueron obtener un conocimiento de esa comunidad respecto a sus necesidades, recursos disponibles, dinámicas sociales, percepción de inseguridad, situaciones de victimización y medidas adoptadas en estas situaciones. Usando un cuestionario se desarrolló un estudio exploratorio, descriptivo, transversal y basado en el auto informe de 139 sujetos de esa comunidad, de ambos sexos y con edades entre los 15 y los 84 años (M=41.4 años y DT=21.84). Los resultados destacan una percepción de seguridad, pero con una percepción de aumento de la delincuencia. El tráfico de drogas es uno de los delitos más frecuentes y temidos. Hay una demanda de más vigilancia policial y una mayor proximidad a los ciudadanos.AbstractThis paper presents the results of an evaluation from an exploratory study, developed in a community with high rates of crime in the city of Porto. The study objectives were to obtain knowledge of that community, about their needs, the available resources, the social dynamics, the perception of insecurity, the victimization situations, and the actions developed in those situations. Using one questionnaire, we developed an exploratory, descriptive, cross-sectional study based on self-reports of 139 individuals of this community, both sexes and aged between 15 and 84 years old (M=41.4 years, SD=21.84). The results highlight a security feeling, although the perception of an increase of crime. Drug trafficking is one of the most common and feared crimes. There is a demand for more policing and greater proximity to citizens

This quantitative, correlational, and transversal study was performed with a sample of 482 participants from an urban community at the Historic Centre of Porto (HCP). Participants answered to an enquiry designed to collect information about (dis)satisfaction with the police and its performance, with sociodemographic, victimisation, criminal, environmental, social control, and community variables as potential predictors. Findings revealed that the community was mainly satisfied with the police in its efforts to guarantee security, and there was no relationship between those variables, and sociodemographic and some community variables (e.g., years at the HCP, willingness to collaborate in security measures, and strength of attachment to HCP). On the other hand, there were relationships of (dis)satisfaction with the police and being the victim of crime, and some criminal and environmental variables (e.g., perception of increased criminality, conditions promoting crime, and incivilities). Regression analyses found that the perception of increased criminality and the need to adopt improvement measures were significant predictors of dissatisfaction with the police. This study promotes further discussion on factors that can be improved to increase satisfaction with the police and the connection of community–institutions to promote community security.

Este texto apresenta de um questionário construído em colaboração com o Comando Metropolitano do Porto, que intervém numa comunidade urbana problemática, situada na freguesia da Sé, Porto. Subjacente à construção do questionário para levantamento de Diagnósticos Locais de Segurança (DLS), segundo as diretrizes ministeriais nacionais, esteve a necessidade de, naquela comunidade urbana, se caracterizar o sentimento de (in)segurança dos moradores nas suas componentes objetiva e subjetiva. O instrumento, cuja versão final é composta por cinco secções, foi administrado a uma amostra de 244 indivíduos de ambos os sexos, residentes, trabalhadores ou estudantes naquela região e com idades entre os 16 e os 82 anos. O estudo transversal e descritivo revelou o predomínio de uma perceção de segurança, não obstante a noção de aumento da criminalidade. O tráfico de drogas surgiu como crime mais frequente, e os mais temidos foram furto/roubo, assalto a residência e tráfico de drogas. O desemprego e os problemas económicos foram percebidos como causas para o aumento da criminalidade. A reabilitação urbana e o aumento de policiamento foram medidas sugeridas para aumentar a segurança. Estes e outros resultados reforçam a importância de diagnósticos locais de segurança, para a elaboração de estratégias preventivas adequadas a cada comunidade específica.

This article describes a curated dataset entitled “Looking at Crime: Communities and Physical Spaces”, which comprises data from different sources, namely Diagnosis of Local Security (DLS), Diagnosis of School Environment (DSE) and observation of physical spaces. The main topic covered was crime and related variables at the Historic Centre of Porto (HCP), a well-known urban area located in the North of Portugal. It is currently attended by inhabitants, workers, students and tourists. This dataset includes i) data from two different self-reports: i.1) demographics, perception of (in)security, victimization, social control and community cohesion obtained through an inquiry applied to the adult community; and i.2) data from school climate and students behavioural problems, which may be seen as risk factors for juvenile delinquency, collected through a web-survey applied to school personnel; and ii) data from observation of physical spaces, attending to the Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles. The dataset allows descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, being useful for students, academics, stakeholders, police forces and policy-makers, to better understand crime and its related variables, forecast criminal incidents, and further develop associated preventive and intervention programmes.