During the COVID-19 pandemic, conversations about safety experiences started to rise within the country. Many people felt unsafe in public transport or the supermarket, afraid to be infected with Covid. The supermarket itself was not different than before, but the experience of safety felt by the consumer had changed. In The Netherlands, this safety experience has been improving since the year 2000. Between 2004 and 2008, this was even to an extreme degree (CCV, n.d.). But what is this experience of safety, and what factors influence it in The Netherlands?
Objective and subjective
The experience of safety differs from an area actually being safe. People could feel safe in an area with a relatively high crime rate because they are used to criminal events. Objectively, however, the site would not be called safe. In a neighbourhood that is usually objectively safe, the experience of unsafety could be high due to a series of burglaries. Crime rates are lower, but the safety experience can be lower too.
Factors influencing the experience
An individual's personal situation is crucial to how they experience safety. This could be related to their physical- or mental health, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and way of living. The Netherlands is known for having an open mind towards personal situations, and even though there is more to improve, the experience is already relatively safe. Moreover, if someone has experienced a high-impact crime, like a robbery, this can make a person feel less secure in other situations. In the Netherlands, crime rates are relatively low, so fewer people have experienced one of these high-impact crimes (World Population Review, 2023). Moreover, if someone has been positively helped by care and safety partners, this can also increase the experience of safety. When a paramedic arrives promptly and helps you adequately, the feeling of security can increase (SBO, 2022).
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Most people feel safe in the Netherlands, and that feeling is only growing. Are you thinking of setting up a company in the Netherlands? DMS could be your ideal partner! DMS is a privately owned boutique corporate service provider and proudly originates from the Crédit Agricole family. Therefore, high-level international commerce values and standards are in their DNA. Many of their experienced, multilingual, motivated, and educated colleagues are dedicated to forging longstanding relationships. The team has the values and standards of high-level international commerce and has been providing top-tier management services for over 20 years. Services include Domiciliation+, Management, Administration and, if necessary, Liquidation, making them your ideal partner in business.