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Perceptions of Personal Security in Social Media and Search Engines: A Realistic Reflection of Actual Crime Rates?

Author

Listed:
  • Johannes Rieckmann
  • Jan-Lucas Schanze

Abstract

The most common method of measuring subjective fear of crime in the general population has traditionally been through surveys. With the spread of digital technologies, however, data from social media and search engines could now help researchers learn more about people’s subjective perceptions of certain types of crime. The present article will show that although the analysis of data from social media and search engines is not suitable as an indicator of actual crime levels in Germany, it can certainly be a cost-effective supplement to traditional methods of collecting data on perceived crime levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Johannes Rieckmann & Jan-Lucas Schanze, 2015. "Perceptions of Personal Security in Social Media and Search Engines: A Realistic Reflection of Actual Crime Rates?," DIW Economic Bulletin, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 5(12), pages 178-186.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwdeb:2015-12-3
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    File URL: https://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.498991.de/diw_econ_bull_2015-12-3.pdf
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Crime; crime statistics; indicator; perception; security; social media; social network; search engine;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H79 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Other
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • Z18 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Public Policy

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