Survey reveals rising insecurity among young women in Malmö

A recent survey reveals a rising sense of insecurity in one’s local neighborhood during nighttime over the past decade. Nearly half of women aged 16-19 report feeling unsafe outdoors in the evening. One young woman, 24-year-old Saga, shared her reluctance to go shopping late, preferring to have someone on the phone or accompany her as she heads out. The feeling of insecurity is notably increasing among young women but has also risen among men, particularly those aged 45-54, with one in five reporting feelings of unsafety at night.

Caroline Mellgren, a criminologist at Malmö University, attributes this growing anxiety to heightened media focus on severe crimes associated with criminal networks. She notes that the public perception of crime risks impacts the sense of insecurity, as more innocent civilians appear to be affected, leading many to feel that such incidents could happen to anyone, anywhere.

Despite this perceived increase in insecurity, actual crime statistics do not necessarily support this sentiment. While reports of homicides and attempted murders have increased by 53% over the past decade, other violent crimes such as outdoor assaults, rapes, and robberies have decreased significantly—by 27% and 39%, respectively—relative to the population.

Mellgren concludes that despite the low individual risk of being affected by crime, the potential consequences loom large in people’s minds, fueling the prevailing sense of insecurity across different demographics.