An increase cases on youth crime have been the centre of attention on the news lately and more policies are being implemented to stop this increase on juvenile delinquency. This thesis uses a...Show moreAn increase cases on youth crime have been the centre of attention on the news lately and more policies are being implemented to stop this increase on juvenile delinquency. This thesis uses a photograph-based survey experiment to measure how perceived safety depending on skin colour (brown vs. white) and clothing (hoodie vs. casual) affects policy and initiative support to combat juvenile delinquency. From the obtained data it can be concluded that participants feel least safe encountering a white boy in casual clothes and a brown boy in a hoodie. Moreover, policy and initiative support does not increase as participants feel less safe. Almost all participants support most policies and/or initiatives presented. The Knife Ban Policy receives the most support and the Gathering Ban Policy receives the least support.Show less
It is established that (indirect) exposure to violent incidents impacts fear of crime. However, few studies have explored whether an incident in one’s direct neighborhood evokes a higher fear of...Show moreIt is established that (indirect) exposure to violent incidents impacts fear of crime. However, few studies have explored whether an incident in one’s direct neighborhood evokes a higher fear of crime compared to an incident located farther away. In addition, few studies have used this multi-spatial approach to analyze crime-specific fear. This thesis aims to fill both these gaps by investigating public opinion in the specific context of drug-related violence amongst adults in the Netherlands. More specifically, this thesis tests whether the proximity of a drug-related contract kill has a different effect on fear of crime and support for more specific anti-drug legislation based on the location of the incident. The analysis confirmed that both fear of drug-related violence and support for more specified policies are higher when the incident takes place in one’s direct neighborhood. These results are reflected upon and incorporated when discussing recommendations for future studies.Show less
This quantitative study investigated the relationship between the label assigned to a terrorist act and the fear of terrorism and consequent support for anti-terrorism policy in Western Europe....Show moreThis quantitative study investigated the relationship between the label assigned to a terrorist act and the fear of terrorism and consequent support for anti-terrorism policy in Western Europe. Previous research has linked the fear of terrorism and the support one has for policy tackling it. A survey experiment (N = 210) was conducted making use of vignette manipulations to evoke emotional responses within respondents. Next, a statistical analysis was performed making use of ANOVA tests. The results suggested that the label of jihadist terrorism incites incrementally more fear and support for anti-terrorism policy than the right-wing terrorism label; despite the tests not resulting in statistical significance. It is suspected that statistical significance could be reached if a larger sample were employed. It was further concluded that because of the European contextuality right-wing terrorism is not as feared, and support for anti-right-wing terrorism policy is not as high in comparison to its jihadist counterpart.Show less
Public opinion has become increasingly important when it comes to furthering European integration. This thesis looks into the dichotomy of public opinion in Bulgaria, in which support for the EU...Show morePublic opinion has become increasingly important when it comes to furthering European integration. This thesis looks into the dichotomy of public opinion in Bulgaria, in which support for the EU has remained relatively high for the period since the country’s accession to the EU, while support for the euro has become relatively low. By employing a benchmarking theory, which posits that people’s attitudes towards the EU and its policies are formed in comparison to national contexts, this thesis seeks to explain this dichotomy. The analysis of Eurobarometer data from the past 13 years combined with analysis of online news media data provides an insight into why Bulgarians support the EU (as a regime) more than the euro (a specific policy). This thesis finds that while distrust in national institutions and the bleak economic performance boosts support for the EU, the same distrust might play a role in the negative perceptions towards the euro. While Bulgarians tend to trust the EU’s institutions and evaluate the EU economy better than the national one, they fear price increase, loss of control over economic policies, and even losing a part of their national identity when it comes to euro adoption.Show less
