NCJ Number
219752
Journal
Security Journal Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: 2007 Pages: 77-95
Date Published
2007
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This article provides results of a questionnaire-based study regarding citizen perceptions of the United Kingdom (UK) Government’s emergency advice booklet that was disseminated to the general public in June 2004.
Abstract
Results indicated that, first, over one quarter of the sample had not received the booklet from the Government and just over half the sample (51 percent) claimed to have read the booklet. Of those who read the booklet, approximately 67 percent reported that the booklet was informative but only 54 percent reported that they found it useful. However, 86 percent of the sample reported that the booklet provided “common sense advice.” The booklet did not have a significant impact on perceptions of vulnerability; 59 percent reported feeling the same level of risk after reading the booklet. Less than one fifth of the sample (19 percent) reported that the Government’s strategy for communicating the terrorist risk was effective. Male participants were generally more favorable toward the booklet and the Government’s strategy than were female participants. The findings suggest that while the booklet strategy worked for some citizens, it did not work well for other citizens. As such, the Government should engage in multiple strategies to reach different types of populations regarding the threat of terrorism. Participants were 116 UK citizens within positions of authority in local agencies, voluntary groups, the education sector, and national civics groups who completed the questionnaire between November 2004 and January 2005. Data were analyzed in SPSS using the Mann-Whitney test and chi square analysis. Footnotes, references