The Effects of Visibility on Fear of Crime in Schools′ Interior Environments

Abstract

In any given environment, visibility is a critical element that affects fear of crime. This study provides empirical evidence of the effects of visibility on fear of crime within elementary schools using a quantitative analysis. Spots in which children felt fear were identified, and their characteristics were analyzed according to the four visibility dimensions of: visual connectivity and visual integration, each with and without visible distance restrictions. One finding was that fear of crime was high in the areas where visibility was either extremely low or extremely high, resulting in a relationship that can be expressed as a U-shaped graph. In addition, fear of crime was associated with visibility in relation to human behaviors as well as built environments. Finally, the visibility distance was also found to be an important element affecting fear of crime.

One Step Ahead of Active Shooters: Are Our University Buildings Ready?

“…Studies that looked at crime prevention measures in relation to crime at an urban level produced promising, predictive, inexpensive tools. Although similar tools were used to successfully measure certain behavioral outcomes, such as navigating through elementary schools [37], or wayfinding in hospitals [38], it might be useful to use these tools to address preparedness and response time inside buildings for active shooting prevention. This pilot study is the first of its kind to explore the same tools to assess preparedness from active shooting incidents.…”

The Impact of Physical Features and Environment on Crime in Urban Neighbourhood Areas

“…A study by Lee and Ha (2016), which identified the effect of visibility on fear of crime within elementary schools, urged capturing and consider the curvature of the surface, on the natural environment and human-made. The angle and distance of visibility are the essential elements that influenced the fear among student.…”