Latin Americans Least Likely Worldwide to Feel Safe
http://www.gallup.com/poll/156236/Latin-Americans-Least-Likely-Worldwide-Feel-Safe.aspx
Venezuelans, Chadians, and Afghans feel least safe
by Clancy BertaneWASHINGTON, D.C. -- People living in Latin America and the Caribbean are the least likely in the world to personally feel safe in their communities, with slightly less than half of residents (46%) reporting in 2011 that they do not feel safe walking alone at night where they live.
People living in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Northern America -- which includes the U.S. and Canada -- were the most likely worldwide to feel safe. At least three in four residents in each of these regions reported feeling safe, but as it does elsewhere around the world, people's sense of security varies by country. (Full country results are available at the end of this article.)
Latin Americans' sense of security varies across the region, from a low of 34% in Venezuela to a high of 69% in Trinidad and Tobago. Majorities in 13 of the 21 countries surveyed in the region last year said they do not feel safe, which may reflect ongoing struggles with violent crime in many of these countries, where murder rates are far higher than the annual global average of 6.9 per 100,000 people.
That one-third of Venezuelans do feel safe is not altogether surprising, given that Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with 67 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. Venezuelans' perceptions about their safety are essentially on par with conflict-plagued countries such as Chad (30%) and Afghanistan (29%) -- illustrating that violent crime can be as devastating to one's sense of personal security as armed conflict.