Is green space in the living environment associated with people's feelings of social safety?

Abstract. The authors investigate whether the percentage of green space in people's living environ- ment affects their feelings of social safety positively or negatively. More specifically they investigate the extent to which this relationship varies between urban and rural areas, between groups in the community that can be identified as more or less vulnerable, and the extent to which different types of green space exert different influences. The study includes 83736 Dutch citizens who were interviewed about their feelings of social safety. The percentage of green space in the living environment of each respondent was calculated, and data analysed by use of a three-level latent variable model, controlled for individual and environmental background characteristics. The analyses suggest that more green space in people's living environment is associated with enhanced feelings of social safetyöexcept in very strongly urban areas, where enclosed green spaces are associated with reduced feelings of social safety. Contrary to the common image of green space as a dangerous hiding place for criminal activity which causes feelings of insecurity, the results suggest that green space generally enhances feelings of social safety. The results also suggest, however, that green space in the most urban areas is a matter of concern with respect to social safety.

Crime, policing and justice The experience of older people: findings from the British Crime Survey, England and Wales

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:8447.46465(08/02) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

The 2001 British Crime Survey First results, England and Wales

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:8447.46465(18/01) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Old age, vulnerability and sexual violence: implications for knowledge and practice

This paper seeks to offer further analysis on the relationship between abuse of power, elder abuse and sexual violence. Importantly, current definitions are examined and the existing literature is reviewed to establish what the current level of debate is on sexual violence in its relationship to elderly women. We conclude that marginalization results in inadequate redress to issues of violence and power that may manifest against the older person, and which leads to feelings of vulnerability. There are important implications for helping health professionals, especially nurses, for understanding the policy, theory and practice. The need for empirical research in this difficult area is paramount

Vulnerability and risk: Some lessons from the UK Reducing Burglary Initiative

Various police and partnership schemes claim to address vulnerability, either as an end in itself, or as a means of crime reduction. However, project staff do not articulate always what is meant by ‘vulnerability,’ or relate it necessarily to victimization risk. This paper considers what the notions of ‘vulnerability’ and ‘risk’ mean, and how they are tackled and prioritized. Some lessons are provided from the UK Reducing Burglary Initiative. The paper argues that un-evidenced assumptions of vulnerability and risk need to be avoided. Additionally, a decision to focus on vulnerability is, mostly, one to reduce disadvantage rather than crime

Repertoires of Distinction: Exploring patterns of weekend polydrug use within local leisure scenes across the English night time economy

Presented here are the first findings of self report surveys of prevalence of illicit drug use by customers in the night time economy of a large English city. Five random sample surveys conducted with dance club customers and three similar surveys with bar customers identified an association between illicit drug use, entertainment type and venue type. Firstly, club customers were significantly more likely to report lifetime, past month and fieldwork night drug use than bar customers. Secondly, distinct and prolific polydrug repertoires were associated with the genres of electronic dance music favoured within different clubs, along with evidence of the growing popularity of emergent drugs such as MDMA powder. Such polydrug repertoires support the notion of culturally, spatially and pharmacologically distinct local leisure scenes operating within the contemporary night time economy; rather than the same broad mass of customers choosing different leisure experiences on different occasions, or the more fluid, ‘neo-tribal’ cultural groupings suggested by some. The paper concludes by suggesting that prolific and enduring weekend polydrug repertoires within local leisure scenes increasingly polarise such scenes from drug use in the general population, with implications for policing and governance, alongside the need for a more nuanced understanding of the night time economy as an analytical concept in social research

Cocaine/crack cocaine consumption, treatment demand, seizures, related offences, prices, average purity levels and deaths in the UK (1990-2004)

“The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 22 (1), 2008, on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/ - Copyright British Association for Psychopharmacology" DOI: 10.1177/0269881107079170A recent trend of escalating use of cocaine/crack cocaine was observed in the UK. The number of mentions on death certificates; last year use of cocaine; treatment demand, number of drug offenders, seizures, prices and average purity levels were the indicators used for this descriptive and correlational study. Figures ( 1990-2004) were taken from official UK sources. A total of 1022 cocaine/crack cocaine death mentions ( i.e. deaths from any cause where the presence of cocaine/ crack cocaine was also detected) were identified, with cocaine/ crack cocaine being the sole drug mentioned in 36% of cases. The number of cocaine/ crack cocaine death mentions showed a year-on-year increase and correlated positively with the following cocaine ( powder) figures: last year use ( p < 0.001); number of offenders ( p < 0.001) and number of seizures ( p < 0.001), but correlated negatively with price ( p < 0.001). Furthermore, the number of cocaine/ crack cocaine death mentions correlated positively with the number of crack offenders ( p < 0.001) and seizures ( p < 0.001), but correlated negatively with both crack purity ( p < 0.001) and price ( p < 0.05). With conditions of increasing drug availability having been met in the UK, decrease in cocaine prices were associated with higher consumption levels and this, in turn, contributed to the increase in number of cocaine-related fatalities. There are limitations with the information collected, since no distinction is usually made on medical death certificates between cocaine and crack cocaine. The present study being an ecological one, it proved difficult to address the role of confounding variables that may well explain some of the associations observed.Peer reviewe