Environmental and Psychosocial Factors of Pick-pocketing Risk Evaluation: The Case of Two Sites in Lisbon

Abstract

It is in common knowledge that pick-pocketing is a type of crime encountered in urban environments. Based on previously identified environmental and psychosocial factor of spatial representations of security/insecurity, the current research aimed at exploring environmental factos that could affect people’s evaluations, as regards the risk of being pick-pocketed. With this purpose, two sites in Lisbon differing mainly in their physical and social environmental features were cnsidered. Results show that strong social bonds within a place may appear very importante for evaluation of pick-pocketing risk, putting aside and making less importante physical layout, whereas in socially heterogeneous places, where social bonds are weaker, physical environment becomes consequently more important for perceptions of safety.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17575/rpsicol.v21i2.368