Drawing upon environmental criminology principles and fear of crime literature, this article investigates the types of outdoor places where most crimes against the elderly happen as well as the types of places most feared by them. The study employs an analysis of secondary data, crime mapping, fieldwork, and interviews with residents in a senior housing area in Stockholm, Sweden. Results show that most crime victims were exposed to theft, and all incidents took place in the environment close to the senior housing. Elderly perceived safety follows a “distance decay” from the residence, the safest places being the areas immediately outside the entrance of the senior housing, while the least safe are the deserted areas close to the petrol station. Findings also show that for those who are fairly mobile, the fact that they avoid some places does not necessarily mean their mobility is restricted, as previously expected, but it makes them walk farther. 

Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) has long been suggested as a guideline for improving safety in neighborhoods. Yet, little is known about the application of CPTED to urban parks. The aim of this study is to evaluate the adequacy of CPTED principles in guiding the inventory of safety conditions of an urban park. The study begins with a review of the development of CPTED ideas and then focuses on the inspection of a park with a relatively high level of crime in the city of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Site observations, parks inspection, crime mapping of police-recorded data, and interviews with selected users and municipal stakeholders underpin the methodology used in this study. Findings indicate that design and management of the park affect the park’s safety conditions—attributes that are easily identifiable when using CPTED as guidance. The article concludes with several general lessons from using CPTED principles to inventory safety in parks.

This study examines the environment of one of the largest and most recently built shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan. The aim of this study is to assess how building design, familiarity with the mall, and past experiences of victimization influence visitors’ perceived safety. Using site inspections guided by crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) principles and an online survey, the study identifies factors affecting visitors’ perceived safety. Findings indicate that enhancing surveillance, territoriality, and access control in well-designed and maintained spaces can impact levels of perceived safety. These findings underscore the importance of surveys, in combination with site inspections, in providing a comprehensive tool for understanding and improving safety in commercial complexes.

Workplace violence is a complex occupational hazard that health care staffs are facing in today’s work environment. This study examines the safety measures recommended by staff in occupational injury reports filed in the wake of violence- and threat-related injuries. The results suggest that measures relating to psychosocial factors and structural factors such as adequate staffing are much more important than surveillance, staff training, and penal sanctions.