Outdoor sexual assault: An analysis of the sexual assault landscapes in Stockholm, Amsterdam and Copenhagen

This thesis seeks to tackle the current and increasing problem of sexual assault. It aims to answer the question of what the sexual assault landscapes in three of the safest cities of the Western world look like, and what policies or approaches from these cities there are that can be used to improve the situations in other cities. The three cities used for the case studies of this thesis are Stockholm, Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Through analyzing existing data and literature an image of the sexual assault landscapes will be sketched. These sexual assault landscapes will be analyzed to provide advice of potential policies or approaches that might help reduce the problem of sexual assault elsewhere in the world. The aspects of opportunity, accessibility and anonymity will be evaluated throughout all three chapters and the conclusion. The analysis of this thesis concluded that the combined sexual assault areas of Stockholm, Amsterdam and Copenhagen are, in brief, poorly lit or dark...Show moreThis thesis seeks to tackle the current and increasing problem of sexual assault. It aims to answer the question of what the sexual assault landscapes in three of the safest cities of the Western world look like, and what policies or approaches from these cities there are that can be used to improve the situations in other cities. The three cities used for the case studies of this thesis are Stockholm, Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Through analyzing existing data and literature an image of the sexual assault landscapes will be sketched. These sexual assault landscapes will be analyzed to provide advice of potential policies or approaches that might help reduce the problem of sexual assault elsewhere in the world. The aspects of opportunity, accessibility and anonymity will be evaluated throughout all three chapters and the conclusion. The analysis of this thesis concluded that the combined sexual assault areas of Stockholm, Amsterdam and Copenhagen are, in brief, poorly lit or dark areas that are situated outside of the public eye and are very often affected by alcohol distribution points. Night life and public transport areas are therefore some of the main risk areas for sexual assault. This risk can be decreased by implementing better street lights and creating more visible and open spaces which promotes natural surveillance. Some more specific policies based on the three case studies have also been discovered.Show less

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Outdoor sexual assault: An analysis of the sexual assault landscapes in Stockholm, Amsterdam and Copenhagen