Description

The Sense of Safety (SOS) refers to the assessment of an individual’s subjective perception of how safe and protected they feel within the environments in which they live and interact. Sense of safety can be conceptualized as a multidimensional construct encompassing physical, emotional, and social safety, as well as the perceived presence or absence of threats within one’s immediate and broader social environment.

The assessment may focus on different contexts of everyday life, including the home, school, neighborhood, and wider community, examining the extent to which individuals feel protected, accepted, and free from fear, insecurity, or perceived threat. Among children and adolescents in particular, perceived safety may be associated with interpersonal relationships, family and school climate, social support, and exposure to actual or perceived environmental and social risks.

Objective

The primary objective of assessing Sense of Safety is to systematically capture individuals’ perceived level of safety and identify factors that may strengthen or undermine this perception. The findings can contribute to a better understanding of how individuals experience their physical and social environments and can support the development of interventions aimed at improving psychosocial well-being and quality of life.

In research settings, Sense of Safety can also be examined in relation to demographic, family, educational, and socioeconomic characteristics, as well as variables associated with psychosocial adjustment, interpersonal relationships, social support, and community conditions.

Data Analysis and Use

Responses may be recorded using a Likert-type scale, depending on the specific version and administration instructions of the instrument. Statistical analysis may include descriptive measures, such as the mean, median, standard deviation, and distribution of scores, as well as comparisons between different demographic or social groups.

Researchers may additionally examine associations between perceived safety and variables such as age, gender, socioeconomic conditions, and characteristics of the family, school, neighborhood, or community environment. Multivariate statistical analyses may also be employed to identify independent predictors of higher or lower levels of perceived safety.

Psychometric Evaluation

The application of a Sense of Safety instrument across different populations requires adequate documentation of its psychometric properties. Reliability can be investigated through measures of internal consistency, such as Cronbach’s alpha or, where appropriate, McDonald’s omega.

Validity assessment may include content validity and structural validity, as well as convergent and discriminant validity. When an instrument is translated or adapted for use within a different linguistic or cultural context, a systematic process of translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric reassessment is recommended.

The underlying factor structure may be investigated through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and/or Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to determine whether individual items consistently represent the theoretically proposed dimensions of perceived safety.

Contemporary Applications

The assessment of perceived safety can be applied across a broad range of research and professional fields, including education, psychology, public health, social policy, and community health. Particular attention has been given to safety within educational environments and its potential relationships with school climate, peer relationships, interactions with teachers, and students’ broader psychosocial well-being.

Perceived safety may also be examined at the neighborhood and community levels, taking into consideration factors such as social cohesion, interpersonal trust, social support, exposure to violence, and other environmental or social threats. Systematic assessment of these dimensions may contribute to the identification of vulnerable populations and support the development and evaluation of targeted prevention and intervention programs.

References

Boateng, G. O., Neilands, T. B., Frongillo, E. A., Melgar-Quiñonez, H. R., & Young, S. L. (2018). Best practices for developing and validating scales for health, social, and behavioral research: A primer. Frontiers in Public Health, 6, 149.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Youth Risk Behavior Survey: Data Summary & Trends Report 2013–2023. Atlanta, GA: CDC.

DeVellis, R. F., & Thorpe, C. T. (2021). Scale Development: Theory and Applications (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.

OECD. (2023). PISA 2022 Results (Volume II): Learning During—and From—Disruption. Paris: OECD Publishing.

World Health Organization. (2024). Global Status Report on Preventing Violence Against Children 2024. Geneva: World Health Organization.