Subjective Perception of Safety During the COVID-19 Crisis: The Influence of Social Cohesion, Risk Group Affiliation and Incivilities

Abstract

This paper analyses the effect of neighbourhood social cohesion on the perception of safety and pandemic-related anxiety about the future during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Data were gathered from 1 194 Hamburg citizens. Analyses show that social cohesion has a significant reducing effect on the perception of safety, which especially benefits those who belong to a high-risk group for severe COVID-19 infection. In contrast, the perceptions of incivilities and crime show only a limited effect on the perception of safety.