The latest National Urban Survey on Citizen Security, ENUSC 2023, which is the country’s main instrument for measuring victimization and perception of security, in this version included – for the first time – reliable and detailed information at the communal and regional level, in addition to national figures.
The numbers provided indicate that victimization reached 21.7%, remaining stable compared to 2022; while the perception of insecurity, which measures the number of people who estimate that crime has increased in the last 12 months, reached 87.6%. Of that figure, 54.3% considered that crime has increased in their neighborhood and 76.4% did so in their commune.
Patricio Saavedra, an academic at the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of O’Higgins (UOH), addressed the repercussions of the results delivered in the latest National Urban Survey on Citizen Security 2023, beyond the figures usually highlighted on victimization and perception of insecurity, emphasizing that the true impact lies in the changes in people’s daily lives as a result of the feeling of insecurity.
“A relevant aspect that the survey shows is how people have modified their way of life due to these high rates of insecurity and victimization,” said Saavedra. The results show that many choose to avoid going out at night, walking alone or participating in recreational activities with their families, and this change in behavior not only affects daily routines, it also has implications for psychological well-being and quality of life.
“There is something that is being left out of the debate: how the feeling of insecurity is impacting people’s physical and mental health. By avoiding going out or meeting others, people isolate themselves, which can lead to an increase in perceptions of loneliness and, eventually, to more serious health problems, such as cardiovascular disease or depression,” warned the academic.
Saavedra stressed that isolation and lack of connection with the community are factors that directly affect well-being. “A large proportion of people’s well-being comes from feeling part of a community, sharing with others and feeling useful. With the levels of crime and insecurity that we are seeing, these possibilities are being restricted, affecting the population’s well-being,” he concluded.
These results highlight the need to not only address victimization and insecurity figures, but also consider the broader impact that these have on health and social cohesion, issues that have so far been absent from public debate.
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