"I Could Go to Anyone Around Me for Help”: Community Conceptualizations of Safety

• In Event: Community-Based Interventions: Justice and Reentry

Abstract

Safety has long been regarded as a fundamental human need, second only to basic biological needs. Institutional notions of safety, particularly in the U.S., have historically revolved around police, but not everyone feels safe in their presence. In reaction to these norms, groups have developed their own conceptualizations of safety, often holding community at their center. While empirical work on community safety has identified common themes, such as the importance of connectedness and resources, it has also shown that definitions of community safety tend to be context-specific. Utilizing data from focus groups of community members in a mid-sized Southern Appalachian city, this paper explores how safety is defined and how it is influenced by and within the local context. Groups were asked to describe what community safety means to them and to share a time when they felt safe in their community. Preliminary findings indicate that mutual trust, being able to depend on others for help and support, and feelings of solidarity are central to conceptualizations of safety.

Authors

• Evan Cole Green, University of Tennessee

• Elizabeth I. Johnson, University of Tennessee

• Dorian L. McCoy, University of South Carolina

• Brittany Bonner, Knoxville HEART

• Nicky Skinner, Knoxville HEART