Date of Graduation
7-2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Geography (MS)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Geosciences
Advisor/Mentor
Thomas R. Paradise
Committee Member
Fiona M. Davidson
Second Committee Member
Linyin Cheng
Keywords
campus, Danger, Environmental Safety, Fayetteville, Arkansas, Risk, Risk Perception Studies, Student Perception, University of Arkansas
Abstract
The objective of this research lies within a community's effects upon, reactions to, and perceptions towards safety in their inhabited landscapes during various periods of the day. Through cognitive and spatial research, we can construct bridges between individuals' perceptions and reality. This study pertained to a student population sample and their views of public safety on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Questions were asked as to why they felt unsafe, and where they felt the most unsafe (or safe). The student perceptions were compared to reported crimes on the University of Arkansas campus to ascertain gaps in perception and behavior.
Factors were identified that contributed to the various respondents’ perceptions of safety, and both supported prior work and unexpected findings. Previous studies indicated that females generally reported having more significant fears than their male counterparts, at night, or at any other time (Reid and Konrad, 2004); some researchers have attributed this to over-socialization that women are targets while men are not (Jiang et al, 2017). This research revealed these differences.
The findings indicated that there were significant gaps within segments of the student population in their perception of safety on the university campus. Overall, it was found that the respondents had a significant understanding of the dangers and risks that are present on the campus. Also, it was found that widespread media-reported incidents (traffic-related student death) dramatically skewed perceived zones of danger on campus. The use of mass media, social media, and campus outreach may have a greater impact on students' perception of risk than first believed and may represent the most reliable path to decreasing perception gaps.
Keywords: student perception, risk, danger, University of Arkansas campus, Fayetteville
Citation
Goodman, C. (2020). A Spatial Analysis of Student Safety and Perception, University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/3699
Included in
Community-Based Research Commons, Human Ecology Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Spatial Science Commons