trygghets

Trygghet, or trygghetets begrepp, refers to the state and experience of safety and security. It encompasses both a person’s feeling of being safe and the objective conditions that reduce the risk of harm. In Swedish discourse the term is used across sociology, urban planning, criminology and public policy to address everyday safety in homes and streets, as well as broader social stability. The possessive form trygghets, found in compounds like trygghetsarbete or trygghetsfaktorer, signals the aspects or measures that promote safety.

The concept covers several domains. Public safety in streets, parks, and transportation; housing safety and quality; and, in modern contexts, digital trygghet against cyber threats. Social dimensions include trust in institutions, social cohesion, and equality, since perceptions of safety are linked to broader welfare and governance conditions. Policy discussions often connect trygghet to people’s ability to participate in daily life without fear of violence, harassment, or disorder.

Efforts to enhance trygghet combine physical design, policing, and social interventions. Urban design aims for visibility and natural surveillance through well-lit streets, clear sightlines, and active ground floors. Preventive programs include community outreach, youth activities, employment support, and housing policies that reduce segregation and instability. Measurement relies on surveys of perceived safety, crime statistics, and victimization data; indicators seek to reflect both actual risk and the feel of security in communities.

Challenges include balancing security with privacy, avoiding stigmatization of neighborhoods, and ensuring that safety improvements translate into genuine well-being and trust in institutions.