Rezaee, Saeedeh (2012) Teenager students' perception of safety in relation to non-political graffiti vandalism, outdoor lighting and situational crime prevention variables in Tehran / Saeedeh Rezaee. PhD thesis, University of Malaya.
Abstract
There are several challenges to the implementation of crime prevention policies for effective and efficient crime prevention programs for a long term sustainable solution to the threats posed by crime. Situational crime prevention (SCP) strategy is an innovative method of preventing crime and has received a stronger empirical support than any other strategy in recent years. It has been recognised as a sustainable response to crime issues, but has not been adapted in Iran until now. Rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation in many developing countries, including Iran, is having a fundamental social and environmental consequence in development of the cities. Tehran has about one third of its population below 15 years of age. Such a high proportion of youth coupled with chaotic urbanisation and socio-economic conditions causes the city to become an urban community with a high propensity for the occurrence of vandalism and graffiti. This situation can pose a threat to the face of the city, its use, prosperity and reputation of the urban areas, thus leading to its stability and development. This study explores the teenager students’ perception of safety in relation to nonpolitical graffiti vandalism, with reference to outdoor lighting levels in urban areas of Tehran. It also assesses the related SCP variables that are known to impact on vandalism and graffiti occurrence, as well as to evaluate the environmental variables that correlate with the high degree of non-political graffiti vandalism damages. A questionnaire survey was completed by 518 respondents in April and May 2009 in three selected areas of Tehran namely Elahie, Piroozi and Nazi Abad region and a SCP assessment was conducted in 160 vandalised properties in the above three areas of Tehran by 50 students in Architecture from Soureh University. The areas were selected based on the socioeconomic status of residents. SPSS and Mintab software are used to compute statistics to identify trends, relationships and differences in qualitative and quantitative data. Situational crime prevention theory is supported by the findings of this research . This research leads to the conclusion that occurrence of three common types of vandalism damages namely damages to vehicles, damages to public properties and damages to landscape and green areas in neighbourhood affect respondents' perception of safety in urban areas of Tehran. Six variables are identified to be correlated with high degree of graffiti vandalism damages in urban areas of Tehran from the related situational crime prevention variables studied in this research. Graffiti vandalism is less likely to occur in well-lit places., Also, there is no correlation between studied urban environmental variables and degree of graffiti vandalism damages. The study adds on to the body of knowlege amongst criminologists, academicians, urban planners and architects to implement the most effective SCP variables to combat non political graffiti vandalism in urban areas of Tehran. This research also provides a useful guidance to authorities and policy makers to formulate SCP initiatives in line with other crime prevention programs to tackle graffiti vandalism.
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