Vulnerability and perceived insecurity in the public spaces of Barcelona / Vulnerabilidad y percepción de inseguridad en el espacio público de la ciudad de Barcelona

Abstract

The concept of vulnerability is directly linked with perceived insecurity and fear of crime, especially with regard to women and older people in our cities. However, it is not the only paradigm contemplated in the analysis of this phenomenon. In addition to a model of vulnerability, some scholars propose a model of disorder and a model of social integration. The aim of this article is to set out some of the results obtained from a questionnaire about perceived insecurity in eight public spaces in the city of Barcelona. It analyses the relationship between the variables of gender and age, and factors in the questionnaire linked to the model of vulnerability (coping, prior experiences and social representation), disorder (perceived environmental quality and tolerance towards uncivil behaviours) and social integration (satisfaction/identification and social cohesion). The findings indicate that the models of vulnerability and disorder have a greater impact on perceived insecurity in the case of women, whereas older people displayed no differences from other groups with regard to perceived insecurity, associated with a greater influence of the model of social integration.