Safety and Crime at music festivals - what are your experiences?

[HBows]

Hi everyone,

We are a team of researchers at Durham University looking at safety and crime at UK music festivals. We have designed a short survey to examine experiences over the last year and would be very grateful if you could fill this in. We will be providing evidence directly to festival organisers on how they can improve safety and crime at festivals from this research.

Survey link: https://durham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/safety-and-crime-at-uk-music-festivals-2018-final-2

For any questions please contact the lead researcher, Hannah Bows - Hannah.bows@durham.ac.uk

*We have gained permission from efestivals to publish this request*

[grumpyhack]

Done and good luck.  Maybe I am naive but I have never felt unsafe at a festival in 40+ years of festival-going.  All that's needed is a reasonable application of common sense and sensible precautions (using lock ups and not carrying wads of dosh) and watching where you go.  Make friends with your neighbours and look out for them and they'll look out for you.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Survey completed.

I'd kind of echo grumpy's account of festival attendance over a number of decades, but have witnessed physical aggression towards my brother when he was in his tent minding his own business ie there was no room to apply common sense etc. 

[Gnomicide]

Done. Interesting survey, as a 51 year old bloke, I've certainly never worried about sexual harassment/assault against me at any festival but it worries me that it happens to other people. It must be a dreadful thing to experience and would no doubt ruin the entire festival experience and put you off ever attending one again.

The only thing I ever worry about at festivals is someone robbing stuff from my tent, even though I never have much money or any valuables on me.

Quite a few people robbed at Bearded this year, people next to us had £200, a watch and some sunglasses taken. First festival they'd ever been to. Apparently they caught the thieves who were detained but I don't know if they've been convicted. 

[vintagelaureate]

Done. 

Kind of echoing the thoughts above: I've never felt worried for myself bar at the extreme riots in Leeds nearly 20 years ago. Also, I'm aware assault (physical and sexual) happens but I'm not worried about it happening to me. It does concern me that it worries others and that it occurs.

[eFestivals]

10 hours ago, grumpyhack said:

Maybe I am naive but I have never felt unsafe at a festival in 40+ years of festival-going.

that was my feeling when doing the survey - that it presumes everyone feels unsafe at some point.  I never have.

I've even stepped in and broken up fights a few times at festivals. Still didn't feel unsafe.

Edited August 31, 2018 by eFestivals

[Peanutsinger]

Thousands of people under the influence of alcohol will always see some issues. 

I don't imagine the crime figures would be any worse(probably better) with the equivalent amount of people out on the town for the night.

I've never felt unsafe. 

Edited August 31, 2018 by Peanutsinger

[HBows]

Thank you all for completing the survey and providing the comments above. We are closing the survey in a week or two but have almost 500 responses so far - please do feel free to share this with your networks if your feel able to. I will come back on here and post the final report (with permission) or indicate where you can find it in a few months when we complete the analysis.

Thanks again!

[mjsell]

Completed. As above never been worried for my own safety in the slightest but have seen and experienced a bit of minor sexual harassment with drunken idiots towards female friends, and have had to step in a couple of times. Again, nothing that would be out of the ordinary on a regular night out in a town somewhere, which obviously doesn't make it alright in the slightest.

But as has been said, from my experiences the crime in festivals seem like they would be comparative or even lower than if you had an equal number of people (intoxicated or not) in the same setting/area anywhere else in the country.