Vania Ceccato | KTH Royal Institute of Technology (original) (raw)
Papers by Vania Ceccato
Journal of Urban Mobility, 2024
This article seeks to investigate the nature of safety perceptions of train travellers, focusing ... more This article seeks to investigate the nature of safety perceptions of train travellers, focusing on the experiences of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals of the environments of railway stations and the way to them. This study makes use of descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression with a dataset specially tailored from a safety survey collected in 2022 in Southern Sweden. Large variations of travellers' safety perceptions are found in relation to the time of day and across transit environments, regardless of gender or any other individual attributes or characteristics relating to their particular trips. Previous victimisation impacts safety for all groups, but travellers fear crimes that are not common in transit situations. Women are more likely to be fearful, but the most fearful of all are women who identify themselves as LGBTQI+ /other. Such a pattern is not found in men, who declare themselves to be the safest of all travellers. The implications of these results are explored both in terms of future research questions and practical implications.
EconomiA, 2024
Purpose-The paper aims to investigate the effect of GDP growth on crime and to test the hypothesi... more Purpose-The paper aims to investigate the effect of GDP growth on crime and to test the hypothesis of nonlinearity. Additionally, we estimate the interaction between GDP and income inequality and examine its impact on the relationship between GDP and homicide rates. Design/methodology/approach-The study utilizes panel data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), spanning the period from 2000 to 2018 and estimates dynamic panel GMM models. Findings-We found a nonlinear relationship between GDP and homicide rates, indicating a dual effect of GDP on the occurrence of lethal crimes. Moreover, income inequality conditions the effect of GDP on homicide rates, exerting a significant influence. We conclude that in contexts characterized by high levels of income inequality, GDP growth is more effective in reducing crime, as there is greater potential for improvement. Originality/value-This paper contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the complex nonlinearity between economic conditions, income inequality and homicide rates.
Feminist Criminology, 2024
Sexual harassment and other forms of transit crime are everyday occurrences for women and girls a... more Sexual harassment and other forms of transit crime are everyday occurrences for women and girls around the world. The absence of safety hampers the ability of numerous women to engage freely in school, employment, and public activities without being alert. This research explores women's safety experiences, particularly focusing on young women in diverse rural and urban environments. We utilized chi-square analysis and regression models to analyze data obtained from a survey distributed to railway passengers in 2022 across neighboring municipalities in southern central Sweden. Findings show that being young makes women more likely to be victimized. Although rural women feel safer than their urban counterparts, they are more often willing to take precautionary measures before taking a trip (e.g., more often traveling with someone in the evening or avoiding certain stations). These findings call for gender-age-sensitive mobility policies, taking into account the intersectionality of transit safety, and reflecting women's and girls' safety needs in particular rural contexts.
Security Journal, 2024
Crime involves different individuals interacting in complex social and physical settings. Often, ... more Crime involves different individuals interacting in complex social and physical settings.
Often, crime problem solvers reach for a common generic response, when
they need to consider a number of possible solutions. Thinking tools can help. In
this article, we show how uniting an injury prevention tool—the Haddon Matrix
used widely in public health—and a crime prevention tool—the crime problem triangle
used widely in policing—can provide guidance to crime problem solvers. We
call our hybrid the General Problem-Solving Matrix (GPSM). We apply GPSM to
rape and burglary to illustrates its features. We conclude the article by examining the
alternative versions of GPSM in crime prevention.
International Criminal Justice Review, 2024
Understanding the spatial distribution of crime patterns or poor safety perceptions equips us wit... more Understanding the spatial distribution of crime patterns or poor safety perceptions equips us with
valuable insights to guide resource allocation. In this special issue, we present examples of articles in
environmental criminology, focusing on the use of spatial and temporal-based methods for crime
and safety analysis. The contributions are from Sweden, Canada, New Zealand, and Pakistan, showcasing
a diverse array of data and methods. Almost all articles are from sessions presented in the
International Symposium in “Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis” ECCA 2023, organized
by the guest editor’s university, and in “the Stockholm Criminology Symposium” that took
place in Stockholm in June 2023. This introduction finishes with a summary of the articles of this
collection.
Security Journal, 2024
In this article, we discuss the role of urban planning professionals in situational crime prevent... more In this article, we discuss the role of urban planning professionals in situational crime prevention. We begin by examining their role as city "shapers" and the reasons behind their frequent neglect of crime-related factors in their decision-making process. We also explore why criminology tends to underestimate the influence of urban planning professionals on the urban environment, a factor crucial for effective crime prevention. To highlight the disconnection between urban planning and crime prevention, we present findings from a survey conducted with urban planners and safety experts in 290 Swedish municipalities. The article concludes with future research and practice recommendations, stressing the urgent need for improved communication and collaboration between urban shapers and environmental criminologists and a more comprehensive understanding from all parties involved.
Security Journal, 2024
In this special issue, five articles demonstrate the impact of contemporary Environmental Crimino... more In this special issue, five articles demonstrate the impact of contemporary Environmental Criminology theory on the understanding of crime and the development of crime prevention practices in both urban and rural contexts. The articles exemplify the development of Environmental Criminology as a field that extends beyond crime in physical spaces to encompass offenses in cyberspace, illustrating the field's adaptability and relevance in an increasingly digital world. Authored by environmental criminologists from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, these articles offer a range of international perspectives, thereby contributing to the field of security while addressing broader social issues.
Crime prevention and community safety, Jun 29, 2024
Crime prevention and community safety, Jun 18, 2024
This article aims to compare the pattern of responses obtained by a web-based and a paper-based s... more This article aims to compare the pattern of responses obtained by a web-based and a paper-based survey used to investigate the transit safety of travellers in railway stations in Sweden. This aim is achieved by evaluating whether the response and the completion rates change as the surveys progress, assessing the effect of the survey mode on respondents' answers (after controlling for the surveys' internal consistency and differences in the samples), and the potential impact of the order of alternatives in multiple-choice questions on the responses. To carry out the study, a sample of 500 responses was taken from each population and later compared using a series of statistical tests. Findings indicate that despite the surveys' high internal consistency, the prevalence of victimisation, fear of crime, and precautions detected in the web survey was higher than those found in the paper survey. The web survey shows a major drop just after the initial questions, while the paper survey shows a more stable pattern of responses, but was also affected by a single compulsory question that pushed the completion rate down. Finally, the order of alternatives in multiple-choice questions (fixed or random) did not affect the answers given by the respondents, providing a solid base for safety interventions in transit environments, regardless of survey mode. The article concludes by making suggestions for both research and practice.
Transportation research interdisciplinary perspectives, May 1, 2024
Individuals with disabilities constitute a vulnerable heterogeneous group of travellers in public... more Individuals with disabilities constitute a vulnerable heterogeneous group of travellers in public transport. The present study aims to investigate victimisation and perceived safety patterns among train travellers with disabilities (asthma/allergy, motion sickness, depression/anxiety, and reduced mobility). Exploratory data analysis and logistic regression were used to analyse the data coming from a sample of railway travellers across 28 municipalities in Sweden (N = 3374). Individuals with disabilities are more likely to be victimised in transit than those with no disability and declared feeling more unsafe than the rest of the travellers, especially if they had been previously victimised. Like other passengers, individuals with disabilities complain about aggressive panhandling, sexual harassment, the presence of intoxicated people, and a lack of staff. Including disability groups and their special needs in planning is essential to make public transportation safer and more inclusive.
European transport research review, May 8, 2024
International criminal justice review, Mar 24, 2024
Drawing from environmental criminology principles, this article explores the existing literature ... more Drawing from environmental criminology principles, this article explores the existing literature to assess the utility of remote sensing data in detecting and analysing features in the urban environment that are associated with crime occurrence. A systematic review of the literature in the English language from 2003 until the first half of 2023 from two major databases, Scopus and Science Direct, is carried out. As many as 910 publications were selected, from which 36 publications satisfied the selection criteria. Findings show that neighborhood's design has a quantifiable imprint that is possible to be observed with very high spatial-resolution imagery. Given its high spatial and temporal resolution, remote sensing data can to different degrees support the identification of criminogenic features in urban environments (streets and roads, property boundaries, housing density, characteristics and density of vegetation as well as luminosity levels), but when it is used for the detection of potentially illegal activities, infringement of people's privacy and methods lacking validation still present serious concerns. The article concludes with a discussion of the opportunities and challenges of using remote sensing data in crime analysis.
European Journal of Criminology, Jan 11, 2024
The purpose of this article is to investigate how changes in the environment of a library affect ... more The purpose of this article is to investigate how changes in the environment of a library affect the safety conditions of both visitors and staff. Using principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, crime and incidents of public disturbance from 2017 to 2020 from libraries in Stockholm, Sweden, are analyzed and later mapped using 3D models in CAD. These findings are inspected via fieldwork visits and then compared with answers from a safety survey with library visitors (N = 112) and interviews with library personnel (N = 6). Analysis of variance shows that crime and incidents of public disturbance decrease after these interventions, with clear impacts on their geography. A third of visitors indicate that there have been fewer problems after changes
Transportation Research Record, Jul 8, 2023
Young ethnic minority women face unique challenges when riding public transport. The present stud... more Young ethnic minority women face unique challenges when riding public transport. The present study contributes by providing a narrative-based examination of young ethnic minority women’s formation of fear and adaptive behavior when using public transport. Twenty-nine ethnic minority women, under the age of 30, participated in a semi-structured interview in Auckland, New Zealand. Findings show that adaptive behavior commonly includes pre-planning nighttime trips, relying on their phones to act confident and engage in communication with family en-route, and appearing disinterested to reduce unwanted attention. These measures are expressions of women’s agency and their capacity to prevent victimization and manage fear, particularly in places where they feel unsafe, such as empty stations and dark or enclosed environments. Their lived experiences highlight the level of anxiety they experience on a regular basis. Participants discussed how they are acutely aware of their ethnicity (and appearance) when using public transport at all times of the day. They remain near exits and are constantly on high alert. They also discussed how, from an early age, women are educated in a culture of “stranger-danger” which in the long term erodes their confidence to travel independently and safely. These findings show that the current design of public transport systems does not adequately meet the travel needs of certain groups of women. Public transport authorities are encouraged to gain deeper insights into these issues and develop design strategies which promote inclusiveness.
Journal of Rural Studies, Aug 1, 2022
Journal of Urban Mobility, 2024
This article seeks to investigate the nature of safety perceptions of train travellers, focusing ... more This article seeks to investigate the nature of safety perceptions of train travellers, focusing on the experiences of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals of the environments of railway stations and the way to them. This study makes use of descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression with a dataset specially tailored from a safety survey collected in 2022 in Southern Sweden. Large variations of travellers' safety perceptions are found in relation to the time of day and across transit environments, regardless of gender or any other individual attributes or characteristics relating to their particular trips. Previous victimisation impacts safety for all groups, but travellers fear crimes that are not common in transit situations. Women are more likely to be fearful, but the most fearful of all are women who identify themselves as LGBTQI+ /other. Such a pattern is not found in men, who declare themselves to be the safest of all travellers. The implications of these results are explored both in terms of future research questions and practical implications.
EconomiA, 2024
Purpose-The paper aims to investigate the effect of GDP growth on crime and to test the hypothesi... more Purpose-The paper aims to investigate the effect of GDP growth on crime and to test the hypothesis of nonlinearity. Additionally, we estimate the interaction between GDP and income inequality and examine its impact on the relationship between GDP and homicide rates. Design/methodology/approach-The study utilizes panel data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), spanning the period from 2000 to 2018 and estimates dynamic panel GMM models. Findings-We found a nonlinear relationship between GDP and homicide rates, indicating a dual effect of GDP on the occurrence of lethal crimes. Moreover, income inequality conditions the effect of GDP on homicide rates, exerting a significant influence. We conclude that in contexts characterized by high levels of income inequality, GDP growth is more effective in reducing crime, as there is greater potential for improvement. Originality/value-This paper contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the complex nonlinearity between economic conditions, income inequality and homicide rates.
Feminist Criminology, 2024
Sexual harassment and other forms of transit crime are everyday occurrences for women and girls a... more Sexual harassment and other forms of transit crime are everyday occurrences for women and girls around the world. The absence of safety hampers the ability of numerous women to engage freely in school, employment, and public activities without being alert. This research explores women's safety experiences, particularly focusing on young women in diverse rural and urban environments. We utilized chi-square analysis and regression models to analyze data obtained from a survey distributed to railway passengers in 2022 across neighboring municipalities in southern central Sweden. Findings show that being young makes women more likely to be victimized. Although rural women feel safer than their urban counterparts, they are more often willing to take precautionary measures before taking a trip (e.g., more often traveling with someone in the evening or avoiding certain stations). These findings call for gender-age-sensitive mobility policies, taking into account the intersectionality of transit safety, and reflecting women's and girls' safety needs in particular rural contexts.
Security Journal, 2024
Crime involves different individuals interacting in complex social and physical settings. Often, ... more Crime involves different individuals interacting in complex social and physical settings.
Often, crime problem solvers reach for a common generic response, when
they need to consider a number of possible solutions. Thinking tools can help. In
this article, we show how uniting an injury prevention tool—the Haddon Matrix
used widely in public health—and a crime prevention tool—the crime problem triangle
used widely in policing—can provide guidance to crime problem solvers. We
call our hybrid the General Problem-Solving Matrix (GPSM). We apply GPSM to
rape and burglary to illustrates its features. We conclude the article by examining the
alternative versions of GPSM in crime prevention.
International Criminal Justice Review, 2024
Understanding the spatial distribution of crime patterns or poor safety perceptions equips us wit... more Understanding the spatial distribution of crime patterns or poor safety perceptions equips us with
valuable insights to guide resource allocation. In this special issue, we present examples of articles in
environmental criminology, focusing on the use of spatial and temporal-based methods for crime
and safety analysis. The contributions are from Sweden, Canada, New Zealand, and Pakistan, showcasing
a diverse array of data and methods. Almost all articles are from sessions presented in the
International Symposium in “Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis” ECCA 2023, organized
by the guest editor’s university, and in “the Stockholm Criminology Symposium” that took
place in Stockholm in June 2023. This introduction finishes with a summary of the articles of this
collection.
Security Journal, 2024
In this article, we discuss the role of urban planning professionals in situational crime prevent... more In this article, we discuss the role of urban planning professionals in situational crime prevention. We begin by examining their role as city "shapers" and the reasons behind their frequent neglect of crime-related factors in their decision-making process. We also explore why criminology tends to underestimate the influence of urban planning professionals on the urban environment, a factor crucial for effective crime prevention. To highlight the disconnection between urban planning and crime prevention, we present findings from a survey conducted with urban planners and safety experts in 290 Swedish municipalities. The article concludes with future research and practice recommendations, stressing the urgent need for improved communication and collaboration between urban shapers and environmental criminologists and a more comprehensive understanding from all parties involved.
Security Journal, 2024
In this special issue, five articles demonstrate the impact of contemporary Environmental Crimino... more In this special issue, five articles demonstrate the impact of contemporary Environmental Criminology theory on the understanding of crime and the development of crime prevention practices in both urban and rural contexts. The articles exemplify the development of Environmental Criminology as a field that extends beyond crime in physical spaces to encompass offenses in cyberspace, illustrating the field's adaptability and relevance in an increasingly digital world. Authored by environmental criminologists from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, these articles offer a range of international perspectives, thereby contributing to the field of security while addressing broader social issues.
Crime prevention and community safety, Jun 29, 2024
Crime prevention and community safety, Jun 18, 2024
This article aims to compare the pattern of responses obtained by a web-based and a paper-based s... more This article aims to compare the pattern of responses obtained by a web-based and a paper-based survey used to investigate the transit safety of travellers in railway stations in Sweden. This aim is achieved by evaluating whether the response and the completion rates change as the surveys progress, assessing the effect of the survey mode on respondents' answers (after controlling for the surveys' internal consistency and differences in the samples), and the potential impact of the order of alternatives in multiple-choice questions on the responses. To carry out the study, a sample of 500 responses was taken from each population and later compared using a series of statistical tests. Findings indicate that despite the surveys' high internal consistency, the prevalence of victimisation, fear of crime, and precautions detected in the web survey was higher than those found in the paper survey. The web survey shows a major drop just after the initial questions, while the paper survey shows a more stable pattern of responses, but was also affected by a single compulsory question that pushed the completion rate down. Finally, the order of alternatives in multiple-choice questions (fixed or random) did not affect the answers given by the respondents, providing a solid base for safety interventions in transit environments, regardless of survey mode. The article concludes by making suggestions for both research and practice.
Transportation research interdisciplinary perspectives, May 1, 2024
Individuals with disabilities constitute a vulnerable heterogeneous group of travellers in public... more Individuals with disabilities constitute a vulnerable heterogeneous group of travellers in public transport. The present study aims to investigate victimisation and perceived safety patterns among train travellers with disabilities (asthma/allergy, motion sickness, depression/anxiety, and reduced mobility). Exploratory data analysis and logistic regression were used to analyse the data coming from a sample of railway travellers across 28 municipalities in Sweden (N = 3374). Individuals with disabilities are more likely to be victimised in transit than those with no disability and declared feeling more unsafe than the rest of the travellers, especially if they had been previously victimised. Like other passengers, individuals with disabilities complain about aggressive panhandling, sexual harassment, the presence of intoxicated people, and a lack of staff. Including disability groups and their special needs in planning is essential to make public transportation safer and more inclusive.
European transport research review, May 8, 2024
International criminal justice review, Mar 24, 2024
Drawing from environmental criminology principles, this article explores the existing literature ... more Drawing from environmental criminology principles, this article explores the existing literature to assess the utility of remote sensing data in detecting and analysing features in the urban environment that are associated with crime occurrence. A systematic review of the literature in the English language from 2003 until the first half of 2023 from two major databases, Scopus and Science Direct, is carried out. As many as 910 publications were selected, from which 36 publications satisfied the selection criteria. Findings show that neighborhood's design has a quantifiable imprint that is possible to be observed with very high spatial-resolution imagery. Given its high spatial and temporal resolution, remote sensing data can to different degrees support the identification of criminogenic features in urban environments (streets and roads, property boundaries, housing density, characteristics and density of vegetation as well as luminosity levels), but when it is used for the detection of potentially illegal activities, infringement of people's privacy and methods lacking validation still present serious concerns. The article concludes with a discussion of the opportunities and challenges of using remote sensing data in crime analysis.
European Journal of Criminology, Jan 11, 2024
The purpose of this article is to investigate how changes in the environment of a library affect ... more The purpose of this article is to investigate how changes in the environment of a library affect the safety conditions of both visitors and staff. Using principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, crime and incidents of public disturbance from 2017 to 2020 from libraries in Stockholm, Sweden, are analyzed and later mapped using 3D models in CAD. These findings are inspected via fieldwork visits and then compared with answers from a safety survey with library visitors (N = 112) and interviews with library personnel (N = 6). Analysis of variance shows that crime and incidents of public disturbance decrease after these interventions, with clear impacts on their geography. A third of visitors indicate that there have been fewer problems after changes
Transportation Research Record, Jul 8, 2023
Young ethnic minority women face unique challenges when riding public transport. The present stud... more Young ethnic minority women face unique challenges when riding public transport. The present study contributes by providing a narrative-based examination of young ethnic minority women’s formation of fear and adaptive behavior when using public transport. Twenty-nine ethnic minority women, under the age of 30, participated in a semi-structured interview in Auckland, New Zealand. Findings show that adaptive behavior commonly includes pre-planning nighttime trips, relying on their phones to act confident and engage in communication with family en-route, and appearing disinterested to reduce unwanted attention. These measures are expressions of women’s agency and their capacity to prevent victimization and manage fear, particularly in places where they feel unsafe, such as empty stations and dark or enclosed environments. Their lived experiences highlight the level of anxiety they experience on a regular basis. Participants discussed how they are acutely aware of their ethnicity (and appearance) when using public transport at all times of the day. They remain near exits and are constantly on high alert. They also discussed how, from an early age, women are educated in a culture of “stranger-danger” which in the long term erodes their confidence to travel independently and safely. These findings show that the current design of public transport systems does not adequately meet the travel needs of certain groups of women. Public transport authorities are encouraged to gain deeper insights into these issues and develop design strategies which promote inclusiveness.
Journal of Rural Studies, Aug 1, 2022
Safer communities, 2024
This article aims to provide an overview of the topic of hate-motivated crimes in Brazil, with a ... more This article aims to provide an overview of the topic of hate-motivated crimes in Brazil, with a particular gender-based perspective, focusing on discrimination and violence against women and LGBTQI+ people. Using secondary sources and analysis of current documentation of the field in the Portuguese language, the article identifies trends across different types of offences and reflects upon current available legal references to hate-motivated crimes. The article finishes by summarising the topic and recommending an agenda for future research.
FAKTA BLAD - sammanfattning, 2024
Slutsatser och rekommendationer 1. Införa ett centraliserat rapporteringssystem för brott och inc... more Slutsatser och rekommendationer
1. Införa ett centraliserat rapporteringssystem för brott och
incidenter på tågstationer bör implementeras så att
incidenter blir synliggjorda och kan följas upp.
Rapporteringssystemet bör inkludera även ickekriminella
incidenter som också bidrar till otrygghet - se
till att faktiskt brottslighet och otrygghet hanteras som
två separata problem eftersom de har sin egen dynamik.
2. Implementera digitala lösningar för rapportering -
möjligheten att rapportera problem via appar,
hjälpknappar, ett gemensamt telefonnummer eller andra
digitala lösningar bör införas. Brist på personal och
begränsad möjlighet till att kunna få hjälp framträdde
som en av de mest betydande orsakerna till otrygghet.
3. Skapa ett system för kontinuerlig uppföljning och
utvärdering bör implementeras för att utvärdera
effektiviteten av genomförda trygghetsåtgärder över tid
(evidensbaserad planering). Starta om ifall det inte
fungerat. Som ett verktyg för utvärdering och uppföljning
föreslår vi också införandet av en nationell enkät om
säkerhet och otrygghet i kollektivtrafiken.
4. Stöd samarbetet mellan lokala och regionala aktörer för
att anpassa åtgärder efter specifika problem och kontext.
5. Se till att man har ett användarfokus på särskilt sårbara
grupper – Vår studie visar att kvinnor, och särskilt
HBTQI-identifierade samt unga kvinnor känner sig mest
otrygga, bör det vidtas särskilda åtgärder för att möta
deras specifika behov. Tänk på allergiker och
funktionshindrade personer också! Ta med synpunkter
från dessa grupper vid planering och ombyggnationer.
DRAFT OF THE BOOK, 2012
The central aim of the book is to provide both theoretical and empirical per- spectives on safety... more The central aim of the book is to provide both theoretical and empirical per- spectives on safety conditions at transportation nodes, with particular focus on subway systems.
Moving safely Crime and perceived safety in Stockholm’s subway stations, 2022
This is a draft - preliminary version submitted to Lexington books. The central aim of the book i... more This is a draft - preliminary version submitted to Lexington books. The central aim of the book is to provide both theoretical and empirical per- spectives on safety conditions at transportation nodes, with particular focus on subway systems.
Research Methods for Rural Criminologists, 2023
Knowing where crime takes place or how it is distributed over time and space can be important to ... more Knowing where crime takes place or how it is distributed over time and space can be important to understanding its nature and helping experts tackle it. In this chapter we discuss the use of geographical information (GI), in particular Geographical Information Systems (GIS), in rural criminological research. We report methodological challenges and opportunities with a number of examples from the current literature, from a risk map of drug-related crimes, to remotesensing data in the investigation of environmental and wildlife crimes. We finalize the chapter by reaching forward to what lies ahead in terms of research frontiers.
Chapter, 2022
Considerations of victimisation in the canon of criminological literature have hitherto been urba... more Considerations of victimisation in the canon of criminological literature have hitherto been urban-centric, mostly focused on theoretical constructs of victimology and on specific types of victimisation, and overlooking issues and challenges in rural contexts. One such challenge is the impact that fear and perceptions of crime have on those living in rural environs, where distances between settlements are greater and where isolation (or at least its perception) can magnify fear. Many studies indicate that rural dwellers have overall higher feelings of safety than their urban counterparts, although this is by no means homogenous across all rural locations and groups of individuals. This chapter reviews contemporary scholarship to discuss the nature of fear in rural areas, particularly the fear of crime, how rurality affects fear and how fear influences individuals' lives in rural areas. The chapter finishes by proposing a conceptual model interlinking mechanisms and impacts of fear in areas on the rural-urban continuum.
Report, 2022
Syftet med studien är att kartlägga de situationer där cannabisanvändning och överlåtelse sker i... more Syftet med studien är att kartlägga de situationer där cannabisanvändning och överlåtelse sker
i Stockholmsregionen. Vi undersöker också kopplingen mellan cannabisrelaterade brott och
samhällskonsekvenser på lokal nivå, till exempel på bostadsmarknaden.
Report, 2019
Den här rapporten bidrar till byggandet av kunskap inom hållbar stadsplanering med fokus på säker... more Den här rapporten bidrar till byggandet av kunskap inom hållbar stadsplanering med fokus på säkerhet och trygghet. Rapporten är en kartläggning av aktuell nationell och internationell teori och praktik för brottsförebyggande och trygghetsskapande fysiska åtgärder.
Report, 2019
Denna rapport är en fortsättning på den tidigare rapporten, Trygg Stadsmiljö - Teori och praktik ... more Denna rapport är en fortsättning på den tidigare rapporten, Trygg Stadsmiljö - Teori och praktik för brottsförebyggande & trygghetsskapande åtgärder (2019) av Ceccato och kollegor, och har ett större fokus på fallstudier och exempel på säkerhets- och trygghetsskapande arbete i praktiken. Den första rapporten var ett resultat av ett uppdrag som Avdelningen för Samhällsplanering och Miljö på KTH erhöll i februari år 2019 av Boverket för att kartlägga aktuell teori och praktik för brottsförebyggande och trygghetsskapande fysiska åtgärder i Sverige i ett internationellt perspektiv.
Report, 2019
Denna rapport summerar resultaten från en enkätstudie med 1431 studenter från två universitet i S... more Denna rapport summerar resultaten från en enkätstudie med 1431 studenter från två universitet i Storstockholm om trygghet i kollektivtrafiken. De ungdomar som tillfrågades studerar på KTH Kungliga tekniska högskolan och Södertörns högskola i Flemingsberg. Vårt urval består av 1,122 KTH-studenter (43% av respondenterna är kvinnor och 52% män) och 309 studenter från Södertörn (75% kvinnor och 21% män). Viktimisering och rädsla påverkar resenärernas mobilitet. Bland studenterna i Huddinge är det över hälften, 53% och i Stockholm något lägre, 36% som känner att de måste vidta försiktighetsåtgärder när de ska resa med tunnelbana, pendeltåg eller spårvagn. Kvinnor vidtar i högre utsträckning än män försiktighetsåtgärder, 58% i Huddinge och 50% i Stockholm jämfört med 18% respektive 24% av männen. Medan männen oftast vill visa att de kan försvara sig (till exempel, har koll på värdesaker, sover ej) vill kvinnorna se till att de är sedda (till exempel, står bland människor, väljer en viss del av bussen). I Stockholm rapporterade till exempel hälften av de kvinnliga studenterna att de vidtog försiktighetsåtgärder när de reser med spårbunden trafik och 29% när de reser med buss. Signaler på vad man kallar dysfunktionell rädsla ser man tydligt när man börjar undvika vissa platser (i detta fall visa stationer eller linjer) eller vissa tider (till exempel att resa enbart under dagtid).
Subway’s situational conditions for suicide An analysis using surveillance cameras (CCTV) It is e... more Subway’s situational conditions for suicide An analysis using surveillance cameras (CCTV) It is estimated that about 10% of all suicides in Sweden occur in the transport system. They are relatively few in number compared to suicides in other environments, but still have a strong impact on society. Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowledge regarding suicide prevention in transport environments in Sweden. This project aims to contribute to this knowledge base by exploring the potential of using recorded data from surveillance cameras (CCTV) at subway and commuter train stations around Stockholm in order to gain in-depth knowledge of the course of events leading to a suicidal action. Within the framework of the project, we categorized and analyzed situations and conditions surrounding suicide in Stockholm’s transit system with an intention to identify places and behaviors of highest risk for suicide, and in doing so, inform suicide prevention efforts. Based on the information from the cameras and a template capturing the situational conditions at the stations, it was possible to classify suicidal processes in different types. The analysis also uses visualization tools (VISUAL-TimePAcTS) and various types of statistical analyzes, including a logistic regression model, to identify risk factors associated with suicide. The results show that suicidal risk varies both temporally (for example, hours of day, days of the week) and spatially. Our model shows that being close to the edge of the platform and crossing the white security line in the opposite direction of the train are associated with increased likelihood (greater odds) to commit suicide compared to being in all other places on the platform. Being in the middle of the platform however, was associated with a lower probability of suicide compared to being in all other places. With the help of the surveillance cameras, we were also able to identify a number of behaviors on the platform as indications of a risk of ongoing suicide attempts, including significant risky and ambivalent behaviors. With visualization and modeling, data on behaviors and locations identified through CCTV material was shown to improve the cameras’ usefulness to inform future suicide prevention, and hopefully save lives. The report ends with preliminary proposals for new research steps and for suicide prevention.
Report, 2024
I denna rapport sammanfattar vi arbetet av projektet ”Effekten av stationsmiljön för resenärers s... more I denna rapport sammanfattar vi arbetet av projektet ”Effekten av stationsmiljön för resenärers
säkerhet och trygghet, Trafikverket, 2021–2023”. Ett övergripande syfte med projektet är att
skapa förutsättningar för ökad trygghet vid kollektivtrafikresor för resenärer, främst för utsatta
grupper, med ett specifikt fokus på järnvägsstationer, inklusive omgivande område. Projektet
syftar till att rekommendera säkerhetsåtgärder och trygghetsskapande strategier för att göra
järnvägsstationer säkrare och tryggare, attrahera fler resenärer till allmän kollektivtrafik och på
så sätt bidra till ett mer hållbart samhälle. Studien fokuserar på att undersöka
säkerhetsaspekter på järnvägsstationer och vilka resenärsgrupper som kan vara mer utsatta
för brott eller känna sig mer otrygga än andra. En unik aspekt med studien är att den byggs på
svensk evidens om hur stationsmiljön påverkar brottslighet och resenärers trygghet, särskilt
med fokus på grupper som kvinnor, HBTQI-individer, äldre, personer med
funktionsnedsättningar eller allergier. Studien omfattar 47 stationer, varav en fjärdedel är
belägna i små kommuner, och sträcker sig över olika regionala kontexter i Sverige.
Metodologin inkluderar fältinspektioner och analys av primär- och sekundärdata med hjälp av
statistiska modeller. Resultaten visar att 14 procent har blivit utsatta för brott när de rest med
tåg under de senaste 5 åren, där de vanligaste brottstyperna var stalking (bli förföljd) och
sexuella trakasserier. Hot och hatbrott samt stölder var också vanligt förekommande, och
typen av brott varierade beroende på plats i stationsområdet. Brottsutsattheten var högre på
tåget och plattformen, där majoriteten ändå kände sig trygga, vilket indikerar en diskrepans
mellan upplev trygghet och viktimisering. Totalt kände en tredjedel av resenärerna sig otrygga
när de reser med tåg, och resultat pekar på att upplevd trygghet påverkas av fysiska och
sociala egenskaper i stationsmiljöer. Brist på personal och dåligt stationsunderhåll kopplas till
lägre säkerhetsnivåer och ökad brottslighet. Kvinnor, särskilt de som identifierar sig som
HBTQI, samt personer med funktionsnedsättning känner sig oftare mindre trygga och tidigare
viktimisering påverkar alla grupper. Resultaten belyser skillnader mellan olika grupper av
resenärer och betonar behovet av att anpassa åtgärder för att skapa en tryggare
kollektivtrafikmiljö, vilket varierar beroende på om stationen är belägen i ett ruralt eller urbant
område. För att förbättra säkerheten och tryggheten på järnvägsstationer föreslår vi flera
åtgärder. En centraliserad rapporteringsmekanism bör införas för att synliggöra och följa upp
både kriminella och icke-kriminella händelser som ofta bidrar till otrygghet. Digitala lösningar, inklusive appar och hjälpknappar, har potential att öka tillgänglighet och effektivitet i rapportering. Som ett verktyg för utvärdering och uppföljning föreslår vi också införandet av en nationell enkät om säkerhet och otrygghet i kollektivtrafiken. Ett system för kontinuerlig utvärdering är avgörande för att säkerställa långsiktig uppföljning av implementerade trygghetsåtgärder på stationer. Rekommendationerna inkluderar även att skräddarsy åtgärder baserat på brottstyper, tidsvariationer och säsongsmönster. Förbättrad samordning mellan olika aktörer, både privata och offentliga, samt fokus på användares säkerhets- och trygghetsbehov, särskilt för utsatta grupper som kvinnor HBTQI-personer samt personer med funktionsnedsättning, är centrala för att skapa en övergripande strategi för trygghet och säkerhet på järnvägsstationer.
Bok, 2024
I de flesta städer – från minsta småstad i Sverige till megastäder som New York, Tokyo eller São ... more I de flesta städer – från minsta småstad i Sverige till megastäder som New York, Tokyo eller São Paulo – finns miljöer där brott begås i större utsträckning än i andra. För att kunna förstå brottslighetens natur och agera både brottspreventivt och trygghetsskapande är det viktigt att veta varför brottslighet sker oproportionerligt mycket just i dessa miljöer.
Den här boken handlar om vilka stadsmiljöer som koncentrerar brott och presenterar möjliga förklaringar till varför det är så. Här diskuteras också vad det är som får människor att uppleva dessa miljöer som otrygga. Boken ger exempel på systematiska metoder som används för att kunna identifiera platser med hög brottskoncentration samt diskuterar möjliga relevanta situationsbaserade åtgärder för brottsförebyggande arbete i en svensk kontext.
Boken vänder sig till alla verksamma inom det expanderande brottsförebyggande och trygghetsfrämjande fältet. Den är speciellt lämplig för kriminologi- och polisutbildning och är perfekt för utbildning inom stadsplanering, geografi och andra samhällsvetenskapliga områden där säkerhet och trygghet betraktas som en dimension av social hållbarhet.
Book, 2022
Criminology has until recently neglected the nature and levels of crime outside the urban realm. ... more Criminology has until recently neglected the nature and levels of crime outside the urban realm. This is not a surprise as crime tends to concentrate in urban areas and the police directs resources where the problems are. Yet, there are many reasons why scholars, decision-makers and society as a whole should care about crime and safety in rural areas. This book highlights 20 reasons why crime and safety in rural areas is a topic of relevance. We attempt to untangle currently simplistic views of the rural by discussing a number of facets of the countryside as both safe and criminogenic, and more importantly, a hybrid place worth to be examined in its own right. We adopt the notion of a rural-urban continuum that captures the nuances of places of varied nature, spanning from remote and desolate spaces to accessible and connected environments of the urban fringe. Areas on the rural-urban continuum may be in constant transformation given local and global influences, which imposes challenges for policing and long-term social sustainability.
Then, the book critically reviews a rich body of English-language literature in rural criminology that extends over more than four decades—a scholarship that has engaged researchers and practitioners in all continents. The books finishes with a discussion of the emergent research questions of the field, and offers implications for practice and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Book, 2016
Crime is often perceived as an urban issue rather than a problem that occurs in rural areas, but ... more Crime is often perceived as an urban issue rather than a problem that occurs in rural areas, but how far is this view tenable? This book explores the relationship between crime and community in rural areas and addresses the notion of safety as part of the community dynamics in such areas.
Rural Crime and Community Safety makes a significant contribution to crime science and integrates a range of theories to understand patterns of crime and perceived safety in rural contexts. Based on a wealth of original research, Ceccato combines spatial methods with qualitative analysis to examine, in detail, farm and wildlife crime, youth related crimes and gendered violence in rural settings.
Making the most of the expanding field of Criminology and of the growing professional inquiry into crime and crime prevention in rural areas; rural development; and the social sustainability of rural areas, this book builds a bridge by connecting Criminology and Human Geography. This book will be suitable for academics, students and practitioners in the fields of criminology, community safety, rural studies, rural development and gender studies.
Crime and Fear in Public Places consists of an important tool to advance the international urban ... more Crime and Fear in Public Places consists of an important tool to advance the international urban safety agenda as it provides readers with a view on the debate over safety and public places, taking a multidisciplinary approach that takes into consideration several fields of knowledge. The cutting-edge research contained in this book incorporates different perspectives on the phenomenon of crime and fear in public places and fosters the co-production of safety, which is a basic principle contained in the Guidelines, thus contributing towards more cohesive societies and safer cities for all. Juma Assiago, Head, Safer Cities Programme, UN-HABITAT With expertise from a diverse range of disciplines, this compilation achieves a thorough investigation of how individual mobility, social and built landscapes, and policies interact and relate to crime and fear in public places. Insightful and creative, with implications to make communities safer and improve public health. Professor Douglas Wiebe, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA Numerous organizations call for resilient and safe spaces. Many people dream of enjoying vibrant places. Yet, crime and fear in public space threatens these ideals. This book offers timeous information and practical suggestions towards safe places-indeed, a valuable toolkit for everyone working towards inclusive change in public space. Professor Karina Landman, University of Pretoria, South Africa No city environment reflects the meaning of urban life better than a public place. A public place, whatever its nature-a park, a mall, a train platform or a street corner-is where people pass by, meet each other and at times become a victim of crime. With this book, we submit that crime and safety in public places are not issues that can be easily dealt with within the boundaries of a single discipline. The book aims to illustrate the complexity of patterns of crime and fear in public places with examples of studies on these topics contextualized in different cities and countries around the world. This is achieved by tackling five cross-cutting themes: the nature of the city's environment as a back-drop for crime and fear; the dynamics of individuals' daily routines and their transit safety; the safety perceptions experienced by those who are most in fear in public places; the metrics of crime and fear; and, finally, examples of current practices in promoting safety. All these original chapters contribute to our quest for safer, more inclusive, resilient, equitable and sustainable cities and human settlements aligned to the Global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Report, 2022
I denna rapport sammanfattar vi arbetets första år i projektet ”Effekten av stationsmiljön på res... more I denna rapport sammanfattar vi arbetets första år i projektet ”Effekten av stationsmiljön på resenärers säkerhet och trygghet, Trafikverket, 2021–2023”. Vi har undersökt vilken kunskap som finns internationellt om faktorer som påverkar brott och otrygghet på stationer och/eller i
kollektivtransportsystem, samt hur experterna resonerar kring dessa. Forskning under flera decennier visar kopplingar mellan typ och kvalitet på den fysiska och sociala stationsmiljön och passagerarnas trygghet. Litteratursammanställningarna tydliggör också att trygghet är ett komplext fenomen som ofta är beroende av interaktioner mellan många olika faktorer: plats-, sociala- och individuella karaktäristika. Några av dessa faktorer, som direkt kopplas till stationsegenskaper (till exempel, belysning och design, underhåll, sikt, hinder), lyftes också fram när experterna svarade på frågan om vilka dimensioner som är viktigast för att bidra till en ökad trygghetskänsla och säkerhet på stationer. Experterna nämnde en viss brist på samordning och nationella riktlinjer för att stödja deras arbete. Bättre samverkan mellan aktörerna och tydliga ansvarsområden mellan dem, samt mer fokus på användarperspektiv anses som viktiga aspekter för att kunna förbättra tryggheten i stationsmiljöer.
Book review, 2024
Erbaş, R. (Ed.) (2023). European perspectives on attrition in sexual crimes. Lexington Books, pp.... more Erbaş, R. (Ed.) (2023).
European perspectives on attrition in sexual crimes. Lexington Books, pp. 226, $105.00 (hardback). ISBN: 978-1-
66692-513-5.
Reviewed by: Vania Ceccato , KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
DOI: 10.1177/10575677241278365
BOOK REVIEW, 2022
This is a review by Ceccato (2022) of the edited volume written by Piza & Welsh (2021) "The glob... more This is a review by Ceccato (2022) of the edited volume written by Piza & Welsh (2021) "The globalization of evidence-based policing: innovations in bridging the research-practice divide." Routledge, 346 pp, £34.99 (Hardback), ISBN: 9780367461966.
Master thesis, 1994
A methodology of urban quality of life was proposed using conventional and remote sensing data(ae... more A methodology of urban quality of life was proposed using conventional and remote sensing data(aerial photographs in scale 1:10.000, orbital images SPOT panchromatic in paper 1:25.000 and TM-Landsat), Geographic Information System (GIS) and a relational database. The model of quality of life involved variables of urban infrastructure, income, health, criminality, patterns of built environment and green areas. The potential of texture patterns of the remote sensing data as well as classes of vegetation index was assessed as indicators for the environmental and social indicators. Both remote and conventional were integrated into GIS to create maps for each variable as well as the composite of quality of life combining all variables at once, resulting in a diverse pattern of quality of life. The methodology proved to be useful to assess the urban quality of life patterns and in comparison with the quality experienced by the population. Future research should test the methodology in other cities and other contexts.
Conference slides presented at ASC 2023, 2023
Using crowdsourced data, the number of records of acts of public disturbance in Stockholm, the ca... more Using crowdsourced data, the number of records of acts of public disturbance in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden is compared 15 months before and after the pandemic stay-at-home measures were implemented, controlling for seasonal trends. Poisson-Gamma-CAR regression models are implemented to assess the potential impact of land use on the spatial distribution of acts of public disturbance, accounting for the effect of pandemic movement restrictions and differences in neighbourhood context. In this presentation, I discuss the findings of the study and reflect upon the opportunities and challenges of using crowdsourced data to assess patterns of public disturbance.