Fear of terrorist attack and the use of physical security measures in public space.

摘要

As overt security measures increase in public arenas thought to be at risk of terrorist attack, so do questions concerning the potential social impacts of these measures. The security measures in question consist of temporary, overt, ad hoc protective measures such as concrete traffic barriers, marked police vehicles, uniformed police officers, sections of industrial size concrete sewer pipes, and fencing. Borrowing from the criminological literature on disorderly environments and the fear of crime, this study offers a model for predicting the impact of overt security measures in public spaces on fear of terrorist attack. It was argued that perceptions as well as objectively recorded amounts of security installed to provide safety and protection may actually contribute to fear of victimization. Cross-sectional survey data for this study was collected from residents, tourists, and National Park Service employees in Washington, D.C. National Park monument and memorials in the National Capital Region of D.C. were chosen as the site for this study because of the increases in security since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in Washington, D.C. and New York City. Findings suggested that perceptions of security were more strongly associated with fear than was objective exposure to security. Perception of risk and stress surfaced as mediators in the relationship between fear of terrorist attack and exposure to security. Further research is recommended to better understand the variation in fear between samples and types of security measures.