Perceptions and Experiences of Colombian Students
Regarding Crime and Safety in Sydney (NSW), Australia
Research Report
Qualitative Research Methods for Public Health
PUBH6013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction 4
2. Background 4
3. Methodology and methods 5
3.1. Ethics 6
3.2. Data collection 6
3.3. Participants 6
4. Research findings 7
5. Discussion 11
6. Limitations 13
7. Personal reflection 13
8. Conclusion 14
9. References 15
10. Appendix 19
ACRONYMS LIST
AIC Australian Institute of Criminology
ELICOS English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students
EP Education Providers
GT Grounded Theory
ISSA International Students Strategy for Australia
IS International Students
VET Vocational Education and Training courses
- INTRODUCTION
International students (IS) make a significant contribution to Australian society as well as to the country’s economy (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011). One of the reasons to choose Australia as a destination to study is the high general safety that the country offers to IS (Department of Education and Training, 2014). However, once the students are living in Australia, social challenges might arise including safety and security issues (University of Technology Sydney, 2016). Attacks and robberies to IS in the past (Wade, 2015), and the sexual assaults among Sydney’s Universities more recently (Funnell, 2018), have raised two questions for this research regarding the perceptions of crime and safety by Colombian students who are currently living and studying in Sydney, and secondly, whether their age, time lived in the city, and experiences show any difference that allows improvements towards the general experience of overseas students in Sydney. This report will explore the students’ perceptions using qualitative methods as well as will provide a personal reflection to explain the learning experience from the research assignment.
- BACKGROUND
Australia is one of the predilect destinations of choice for IS. In 2018, over 400,000 overseas students were enrolled in a variety of courses in NSW including ELICOS, VET courses, and higher education programs (DE, 2019). From those students, over
5,600 were Colombians enrolled in ELICOS and VET courses, and to a lesser extent, 163 students in higher education (DE, 2019).
One of the top reasons to choose Australia is the personal safety factor, which has been ranked highly by students’ respondents in the three sectors (higher education 92%, VET 93%, and ELICOS 95%) (DET, 2015). Efforts of the Australian Government and other stakeholders to ensure IS feel safe in Australia have contributed to the increased satisfaction regarding personal safety in the country (DET, 2015). However, during 2009-2010, in Victoria and NSW, national and international media reported several violent assaults and robberies against students from India who claimed the attacks were racially motivated (Wade, 2015). This led to the AIC to conduct a report demonstrating how serious Australia considered this issue, and the education providers (EP) also used it to reassure the world that Australia was a safe place to study (DET, 2015). The 2014 survey suggested this approach was successful (DET, 2015). In 2010, all the Australian Governments also launched the ISSAto commit with the wellbeing of students and ensure Australia remains a safe country for all of them (Council of Australian Governments, 2010).
More recently, sexual harassment and assaults reported in Sydney’s universities and colleges have produced students and community initiate advocate campaigns to end assault and rape in campuses (Funnell, 2018). Moreover, the rape and murder of a 21-year-old IS in Melbourne may highlight the danger of travelling or walk alone or using public transport late at night in Australia (Wilks, 2019).
A national code of practice for EP requires they deliver safety instructions during orientation programs as well as support services to assist students (DE, 2018). Most EP provide information and try to keep students protected on campus. However, there might be a need for more protection. Moreover, IS status as ‘non-citizens’ create their perception that the police might be less engaged to help when required (UTS, 2016)
- METHODOLOGY AND METHODS
This research considers a qualitative methodology because is the most appropriate to explore and interpret perceptions of participants. Qualitative research is based upon the observations and interpretations of people’s experiences of different events and it takes a snapshot of those perceptions in natural settings (Khan, 2014). Moreover, Grounded Theory (GT)rather than phenomenological analysis was selected to guide the research because a theory or explanation require to be generated based on of the data rather than only describing the essence of the experience. GT also contributes to study a process, action or interaction involving the individuals (Khan, 2014).
- ETHICS
All participants were provided with information about the research and received informed consent before the interviews’ commencement. The participants were also informed about the protection of privacy and confidentiality of their personal information and were notified their participation was completely voluntary having the right to opt-out any time during the research. Finally, they were asked for permission to record their voices during the interviews.
- DATA COLLECTION
Qualitative data were collected through individual in-depth interviews and audiorecordings to capture accurate details. The interview asked first for demographic data that was collected manually, followed by ten semi-structured questions to obtain the experiences and perceptions of participants including opinions about the criminal situation in the city, feelings and knowledge of safety, and opinions about police effectiveness.
The interviews were conducted face-to-face in a quiet location in Spanish language since some students did not feel enough confident to fully express experiences in English. All the participants were instructed to focus on their experiences in and around their EP, house, and workplace. The audio-recordings were transcribed for analysis.
- PARTICIPANTS
Four Colombian students recruited from the Latin-American community in
Sydney on Facebook were selected based on their profile compatible with the study. There were two females and two males, with a range of 25-35 years, who have been studying in Sydney between 2-6 consecutive years. Participants are currently enrolled in ELICOS, VET or high educational courses. Real names were not used to protect their anonymity, instead, the participants were asked to choose a number from 1 to 4 to name themselves, so their real names would not appear in the study.
- RESEARCH FINDINGS
The findings were grouped into three major themes as follows.
Safety and criminality in Sydney and its possible causes
Overall, students think the criminality level in Sydney is very low compared to Colombia. They all feel generally safe inside and outside of their school, house and workplace. However, one of the students believes criminality might have increased compared to his first years in Sydney. The most common crime reported by students is bicycle robbery.
Comparing the general criminal situation of Sydney with my city, this city is completely different, is pretty much safe.. (Student 1)
… despite Sydney is a very safe city, I have seen that the criminality might have increased during the last years, compared to a few years ago…Before I used to see a city with fewer incidents in news, now I see a lot of things happening everyday…, many friends have suffered incidents with robberies recently, mostly related to bicycle stealing… (Student 4)
… I was living in a building near to Central Station. When I arrived home, I could confirm the bicycle has been robbed and I discovered that other 7 bicycles had also disappeared…. (Student 3)
The student highlighting possible criminality increasing has been in Sydney for a longer time than his counterparts, gathering more experiences through his peers and work.
Regarding the most common crime, Cycling has grown considerably in Sydney over the last years due to investments and promotion on bicycle use (CS, 2018). Moreover, recent e-commerce platforms succeeding in Australia such as the
UberEats, offer rapid part-time jobs to IS who can purchase a bicycle, whilst they fulfil their studies. Electric bicycles, that can be more expensive, might be preferred amongst students trying to obtain extra income, which may be attractive for bike thefts. For instance, last year three men were charged for organised robbery of more than 75 bikes (Clun, 2018).
Possible causes of criminality mentioned by students involved drugs and heavy alcohol use on streets, that has been well documented as related to crime and harm mostly in certain areas of Sydney where late-night trading venues operate (Shakeshaft, et al, 2011).
… the heavy use of drugs and alcohol within the city, that can make people more prone to commit unlawful acts.. (Student 2)
On the other hand, most of the students mentioned feeling safe when walking alone or taking public transport at night. However, one of the female students thinks several streets around Sydney are not properly lighted, thus, she might feel scared of walking alone at night.
To be honest, I do not feel entirely safe walking alone at night in all areas of the city….the streets are not well lighted… and this happens in other suburbs as well…. This makes me feel a bit unsafe (Student 1)
The lighting strategy implemented since 2000 aimed to improve illumination at night and ensure public safety and night-time entertainment (City of Sydney, 2000), which may be inconsistent with previous perceptions. However, the city has increased urban tree canopy cover over the years to mitigate localised warming (Greater Sydney Commission, 2016), which may be related to the feeling of poor lighting in certain suburbs.
Police effectiveness
Overall, all students perceive the police as an effective force because of their rapid response to incidents that might appear within the city. Their reflection is that police is constantly patrolling the streets and controlling the order in the city. However, both male students think the police might be not effective in all cases.
… I went to the police office to report my bicycle stealing and they collected some details from me, but then they did nothing to help me. I could not recover the bicycle… I felt ignored…. (Student 3)
…I do think the police is effective in most cases, but not all of them…they act very quick…..For example, the responding time for my friend been assaulted on the street was almost immediate…. That occurred almost five years ago. However, my customer who lost his car took almost five months for a response from the police and he never got it back… (Student 4)
Police focus every year in reduce rates of crime, particularly violent crime. Also, police patrols are extensive and focus on spots of crime and antisocial behaviour, with professional responses to crime and assistance within reasonable times, meeting community expectations (NSW Police Force, 2018). The overall satisfaction by the NSW community has increased over the years, however, the highest amount of complaints in 2018 registered involved service and ethical standards (NSW Police Force, 2018). Moreover, individuals from the Australian community had reported in some cases that ‘police do not take seriously everybody’ (Cohen, 2019), which might be related to the minor non-violent crimes reported by IS.
Guide to stay safe by the EP
The research found that two students received safety guiding by the EP, whilst the other two did not receive any safety guide during the orientation day. Also, one student did not report the 000 zero line used in case of life-threatening emergencies and another student has not clarity regarding which is the adequate procedure to report a crime. Additionally, most of the did not report using any protective measures against any type of crime.
…I did not receive any safety guide during orientation day at my school… (Student 3)….
…I did not receive any safety guide to practice in or out of the campus during the orientation day… (Student 4)..
…To be honest…I do not have clarity about the procedure to report incidents. I only know that I must go to the police station when an incident occurs….in personal assaults I suppose is the same procedure… (Student 3)
…None. To be honest, I do not pay attention to protection measures in here. I always carry my mobile phone in my hands, but in general, I do not use any protection measures… (Student 1)
Students with a lack of clarity about the correct procedure to report a crime and a lack of protective measures might have a relation to the absence or poor safety guiding by the EP during the orientation day. Also, in Colombia, students use several protection measures to remain safe in all areas. Once they have decided to study in Australia and are adapting to the culture, they might engage in fewer protective measures due to the low level of criminality experienced in the city.
…To be honest, I do not use any protection measures currently. In the beginning, I used to take a lot of care of my mobile phone and laptop, but then when I saw the city as a safe place, I started to relax and now I do not think anybody can approach me to steal something or assault me… (Student 2)
The EP should provide information about safety during the orientation program (DET, 2018), and within this, students are considered to be responsible for managing own safety out of the institution (UTS, 2016). However, many EP, mostly small colleagues that grant certificates, diplomas/advanced diplomas, might not be fully engaged to provide comprehensive safety guide for students regardless of the students’ services they may offer on campus.
- DISCUSSION
To produce a theory that explains the findings, the GT approach was used. Steps taken during the research process are illustrated in Diagram 1.
Findings from this research show that students generally perceive Sydney as a safe place to study. Students with more years living in the city have gathered more experiences and might be more informed of news, being more aware of what is happening in their surrounding area to express more concerns regarding the increase of criminality within the city. The participants’ age did not show any difference to explain levels of criminality in Sydney since two students with very similar age perceived safety very differently. One of them believes the level of criminality might have increased compared to the previous years and the other student believes levels of criminality are almost inexistent in the city.
A common change perceived amongst all students is the increased level of bicycle robbery that currently is a minor incident affecting them directly. Moreover, police could improve their service standards to assist IS suffering non-violent incidents and enhance their experience of safety. Police could also reinforce the identification and detention of bike thefts since the government is investing in cycleways to promote the use of bicycles (Brown, 2019), and IS might take this to increase participation in cycling for working purposes.
All EP should provide information about safety during the orientation program (DET, 2018), and have ethical responsibility with the health and well-being of students to minimise the probability of safety incidents, encourage issues’ reporting, and enhance the overall experience of IS in Sydney. The orientation day is an opportunity to guide IS about safety issues inside and outside campus, introduce them to support service in campus, provide emergency contacts for incident reporting, explain procedures to report incidents and explain protection preventive measures.
Diagram 1. Process undertaken based on GT. Source: Sbaraini, et al 2011
- LIMITATIONS
There might be some limitations within this research. The small number of participants may not reach the concept of saturation, thus, additional data collection and analysis to evaluate other perceptions from other students are necessary to produce more valid conclusions (Fulsch & Ness, 2015). Another limitation is that the sample was selected only as ‘purposeful’ rather than including theoretical sampling during the data collection process, which is one of the defining characteristics of the GT. Theoretical sampling allows the researcher to follow leads in the data by sampling new participants who provide relevant information (Chun Tie, et al, 2019). Those new participants may confirm what the researcher has already found or disconfirm findings to increase the quality of the study. The lack of expertise by the researcher to secure procedural precision and excellence in the final GT is another limitation.
- PERSONAL REFLECTION
As a novice researcher, I found recruiting and interviewing people challenging. For instance, selecting participants, arranging the meetings with them, and conducting the interviews was time-consuming. Asking for voluntary participation without incentives is also challenging. Transcribing the data manually was time-consuming but the best way to connect with the people’s voices and perceptions. Despite GT is a complex model, applying it to the data analysis was an effective manner to assess the interactions within the findings, and its structured and organized stages easily assisted me to conduct a process and provide results. I struggled to understand the adequate manner to deliver a research proposal, however, analysing data and delivering findings was a smoother process. Aside from learning on how to conduct and present findings in qualitative studies, I learned that research is a complex process that requires constant practice to be mastered. Personal skills such as communication, listening, integrity, empathy, commitment, amongst others can contribute to developing high-quality research.
- CONCLUSION
Australia is generally perceived as a safe destination for students. However recent incidents and assaults against IS in Australia raised two research questions regarding the perceptions of crime and safety by Colombian students who are currently living and studying in Sydney. A qualitative methodology was used to interpret experiences and perceptions based on GT approach to conduct the research and analyse findings. Four Colombian students currently enrolled in different courses were purposefully selected to be interviewed, finding that students generally perceive Sydney as a safe place to study. Years lived in the city was positively related to the perceptions of safety changes over the years rather than the age of participants. Minor non-violent incidents, such as the bicycle robbery commonly reported by students, can be taken more seriously by the police to enhance the overall safety experience of IS. EP can also contribute to improving the experience by proving comprehensive safety guides to IS during the orientation day.
- REFERENCES
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- APPENDIX
ANNEX I. INFORMED CONSENT
Hello and thank you for participating in this interview. As part of one of the assignments for a research subject of my Master’s course I am researching perceptions and experiences of Colombian students regarding crime and safety matters in Sydney, and talking to you will help me understand that better, so I appreciate you taking the time to provide your views.
In this interview, I want you to focus on your experiences with safety in Sydney, the sense of safety in your house, workplace, school, and daily activities, and possible episodes you might have had related to safety or crime within the city. There are no right or wrong answers, so you are welcome to tell me if there is something that needs to be improved.
The interview should not take more than an hour and everything you say is anonymised. Also, I would like to let you know that because this interview is voluntary, you can opt-out at any time for any reason. Finally, I would like to ask you if can I record audio from your interview? I will not share the recording with anyone, it will just help me to focus on what you are telling me instead of focusing on taking notes while you are talking. Once I am done with the recordings I will delete the conversations.
Source: Mortensen (2019)
ANNEX II. INTERVIEW DESIGN
Date:___/___/___
Chosen name number:
| Gender | Age | Location | Years living in Sydney |
| M F _____ _____ | |||
| Educational level | Current course name | Educational institution type | |
Questions:
- What do you think about the criminal situation in Sydney?
(Qué piensa acerca de la situación de criminalidad en Sydney?)
- Can you describe any episodes or incidents related to safety you have been involved in Sydney?
(Puede describir cualquier episodio o incidente relacionado con la seguridad en Sydney en el que usted haya estado envuelto?
- What type of crimes do you think there are in your area?
(Qué tipo de crimenes cree usted que existen en su área?)
- How safe do you feel when walking alone at night?
(Qué tan seguro se siente usted cuando camina sólo en las noches?)
- How effective do you think the police force is when somebody reports a crime? (Qué tan efectiva cree usted que es la fuerza de policia cuando alguien reporta un crimen?)
- What is your knowledge about the procedure to report a crime or look for help in case of being assaulted?
(Cuál es su conocimiento acerca de procedimiento para reporter un crimen o buscar ayuda en caso de ser asaltado?
- Have your educational institution provided any guide about safety in Sydney during your orientation’s day? Can you describe this for me please?
(Ha obtenido alguna guía acerca de seguridad en Sydney por parte de su institución educativa durante el dia de orientación? Podría describer esto or favor?)
- What do you think it might be the reason for crime in Sydney?
(Cuál cree usted que puede ser la razón de criminalidad de Sydney?)
- What protection measures do you use to be safe in your area?
(Qué medidas de protección usa para estar seguro en su área?)
- How worried are you about (terrorist) attacks when you are between local crowds or visiting famous sightseeing places?
(Qué tanto le preocupar la situación de ataques terroristas cuando usted se encuentra entre alguna multitud o visitando algún lugar famoso de la ciudad?) ANNEX III. INTERVIEWS TRANSCRIPTIONS
NUMBER 1
| Gender | Age | Location | Years living in Sydney |
| M F _____ __X__ | 25 | Hunters Hill | 2 years, 8 months |
| Educational level | Current course name | Educational institution type | |
| Bachelor of Business (Finance) – Colombia | Marketing and Communications Diploma (VET Course) | College |
| 1. Comparing the general criminal situation of Sydney with my city, this city is completely different, is pretty much safe. In Colombia, we live daily death and violence. I consider those situations are not presented here. However, I knew a case last year of a murdered woman near to my house. The police found her killed and tied with a dog collar. Detectives were to investigate the area and the security cameras surrounding my workplace (a cafe) to check the routing and pathway of the women before being killed. The murdered occurred in Gladesville area. Overall, in my opinion, Sydney is very safe, or maybe, I do not realise about many situations that might occur because the news is not as sensationalist as in my country. |
A comparación de nuestro país Sydney es totalmente diferente. En Colombia se vive diariamente la muerte de alguien a diferencia de acá. En Australia ese tipo de situaciones casi no se ven. Conocí el año pasado la muerte de una mujer cerca de donde vivo, en donde la encontraron muerta y amarrada con un collar de perro. Los detectives fueron a investigar al lugar y las camaras en el café en donde trabajo y en esa area para ver por donde había pasado la mujer. La muerte se registro en Gladesville.
En general Sydney es muy seguro, o puede que no me entere de lo que pasa mucho aca, ya que las noticias no son tan amarillistas
- I have never been assaulted or involved in an incident in Sydney. However, in the area where I am living, two bicycles from my boyfriend have been stolen during the last couple of years. My flatmate has been also a victim of robbery of his working construction tools that were outside the unit once.
Nunca he sido asaltada o he estado vinculada en incidentes, pero en el sector donde vivo, mi novio dejo su bicicleta afuera y ya se la han robado 2 veces.
También le han robado las herramientas a mi compañero de piso.
- In the area where I live and work (same suburb: Hunters Hill), I have heard specific robberies to properties…. Is all I can say
Por el area donde vivo y trabajo que es el mismo suburbio, he escuchado robos específicos en las casas, es todo lo que he escuchado y que podria decir.
- To be honest, I do not feel entirely safe walking alone at night in all areas of the city. For example, in the area where I live, which I know is safe, the streets are not well lighted… they are really dark at night…. and this happens in other suburbs as well, not only mine. This makes me feel a bit unsafe.
Para ser honesta yo no me siento segura caminando sola en la noche en todas las areas de la ciudad. Por ejemplo, en el area donde vivo, sé que el sitio es seguro pero las calles son demasiado oscuras. Hay otros suburbios donde las calles también son muy oscuras y me da miedo a veces caminar sola en la noche por calles oscuras.
- I do believe the police is effective, according to what I have seen on TV and news. The police force is always patrolling several areas in Sydney to ensure everything is in order. I have not known any close case reporting incidents or criminality situations to the police… when my boyfriend’s bicycles were stolen we did not report it to the police, we did not have time and then we just bought another one and forget it.
Yo creo que la policia si es efectiva por lo que he visto en TV y noticias. La policia siempre esta presente en muchas partes de la ciudad patrullando y viendo que todo este en orden. No he conocido un caso cercano de efectividad de la policia para reporter algún crimen. Nosotros no reportamos los robos en nuestra casa. No tuvimos tiempo y luego simplemente compramos otra bicicleta y lo olvidamos.
- What I know is that I have to call the police line emergency to report the incident and then go to a police station to denounce the case. Is all I know.
Sé que primero tengo que llamar a la línea de emergencia de la policia para reportar el incidente y después denunciar en una estación de policia. Es lo único que sé.
- I did receive a safety guide during my orientation day at school. They gathered us in a room and explained basic stuff about the safety and security in Sydney regarding how to be responsible and take care about our stuff, how to report incidents within the campus, how to be safe inside and outside the campus, for example, to swim between the flags in the sea.
Si recibí un guía de seguridad durante la orientación en mi escuela. Nos reunieron a todos en una sala y nos explicaron cosas básicas sobre la seguridad en Sydney con respect a tener responsabilidad y cuidar nuestras cosas, reportar incidentes en el campus en caso de que sucedan, generalidades sobre seguridad en el campus, y fuera del campus, por ejemplo a nadar dentro de las banderas en el mar.
- I consider there might be several causes, but one of the main causes can be the use of drugs, because, when you are under the influence of drugs you can engage in crimes. I also think that multiculturalism can generate risks of crime. We all came from different cultures, religions, and traditions that could affect safety and security here.
Pueden ser muchas causas, pero una de las principales puede ser el consumo de drogas, porque en ese estado puede uno a llegar hacer cualquier tipo de cosa. Tambien el hecho de ser una ciudad multicultural puede generar riesgos de criminalidad. Todos venimos con costumbres, religiones y culturas distintas que podrían afectar la seguridad acá.
- None. To be honest, I do not pay attention to protection measures in here. I always carry my mobile phone in my hands, but in general, I do not use any protection measures.
Ninguna. La verdad no le pongo atención. Siempre llevo mi celular en la mano pero en general no uso ninguna medida de protección.
- We live in a multiculturalism city where we share our thoughts and religions with others, and things could happen in this situation. However, I have not been worried about terrorists’ attacks in here. I know Sydney is a really safe city, so I am not worried about this, and also, I do not feel scared of visiting any place because of attacks.
Vivimos en una ciudad multicultural en donde compartimos con muchos pensamientos y religiones, y en medio de eso podrian suceder cosas pero la verdad no me he sentido preocupada por ese tema. Se que Sydney es una ciudad muy segura, asi que no me he sentido preocupada o he dejado de visitor sitios por pensar o sentir miedo ante eso.
NUMBER 2
| Gender | Age | Location | Years living in Sydney |
| M F _____ __X__ | 35 | Artarmon | 3 years, 8 months |
| Educational level | Current course name | Educational institution type | |
| Bachelor Psychology – Colombia | Master of Public Health and Business Administration | University |
- In my perception, there is not a criminal situation in Sydney. I have not felt like there is a crime in here. I have never been involved in an incident in the city.
En mi percepcóon, no existe situación criminal en Sydney, nunca lo he sentido así, ni he estado envuelta en incidentes.
- I have never been involved in any situation where I have felt vulnerable or unsafe in Sydney.
No he estado en ninguna situación en la que me haya sentido vulnerable ni insegura en ningún scenario de Sydney.
- I live and work in the north of the city and that is a very quiet area. I never hear anything happening with neighbours o situations where the police are involved in that area. I suppose that in other areas it might be incidents mostly involving drunk people, who can be aggressive under the effects of alcohol.
Yo vivo hacia el norte de la ciudad y realmente es una zona muy tranquila, nunca se escucha nada con vecinos o policia. No he escuchado robos. Pero si he escucha en otras zonas que gente en estado de embriaguez puede ponerse agresiva contra otros.
- I do feel safe when walking alone at night. When I am working I have to take public transport home late at night and I can walk in those areas without trouble.
Yo me siento segura caminado en la noche sola. Al tomar el transporte público cuando regreso del trabajo a mi casa, que muchas veces es tarde en la noche, siempre puedo caminar sin problema entre las calles.
- My perception is that the police is highly effective and their time of response to incidents is quick
Mi percepción es que la policia es altamente efectiva y que el tiempo de respuesta ante incidentes es muy rápido
- What I know is that I should call the emergencies number triple 000 in case of injured people, and they also can assist me with information about how to report the incident. I should also visit the nearest police office to report the incident.
Lo que se es que el 000 es el numero de emergencia y que ahi se puede llamar y reportar y si no ir a una estacion de policia (la mas cercana) para reportar el incidente o robo, pero la principal es llamar al numero de emegencias para que me guien sobre a quien llamar en determinado caso.
- Yes, I receive a safety guide during the orientation day at university. They gathered all in a room where a specialist in safety provided an interactive talk about safety inside the campus; what to do in an emergency situation that threatens the campus, students, teachers and staff; emergency lines; tips to take care of ourselves inside and outside the campus; evacuation routes procedures; shelter sites inside the building in case of external or internal threateners; student services information; medical and mental health service (counselling); website for more information about safety and policies.
Si recibí una guia de seguridad durante la orientación. Todos los nuevos estábamos en una sala y vino una persona especializada en seguridad dentro del campus, y nos dió una charla con una actividad interactiva sobre seguridad dentro del campus; qué hacer en una situacion de emergencia que amerazara el campus y que estuviera afectando directamente la seguridad de estudiantes, profesores y trabajadores?; lineas de emergencia; tips para cuidarse dentro y fuera del campus; procedimiento y rutas de evacuación del campus; sitios de abrigo dentro del edificio si hay amenzas internas o externas; serviciod estudiantiles, medico y de salud mental (Counselling); y el sitio donde uno puede ver mas información sobre seguridad y las pólizas.
- There might be several reasons for this, but one of the main ones may be the heavy use of drugs and alcohol within the city, that can make people more prone to commit unlawful acts. Now that I remember the news from this month, I realise that the multiculturalism (religions) can play a role to influence criminality. Suburbs such as Cabramatta that mix people from different backgrounds might have reported different violent or criminal situations.
Pueden haber varias razones, pero unas de las principales puede ser el alto consumo de drogas y alcohol en la ciudad que puede hacer que la gente no esté en sus cinco sentidos bajo los efectos de esas sutancias y esté mas propensa a cometer actos ilicitos. Acordándome de las noticias de esta semana, he caido en cuenta que también el tema de multiculturalismo (religiones) puede influir para participar en situaciones de criminalidad. Barrios como Cabramatta, han reportado situaciones de violencia y criminalidad.
- To be honest I do not use any protection measures currently. At the beginning when I arrived at Sydney I used to take a lot of care of my mobile phone and laptop, but then when I saw the city as a safe place, I started to relax and now I do not think anybody can approach me to steal something or assault me.
La verdad no uso ninguna. Cuando llegué a Sydney siempre cuidaba mis pertenencias, pero mi mentalidad ha cambiado y ahora ando mas desprevenida. No pienso en que alguien se me valla a acercar a robar o agredirme.
- I am not worried about terrorist attacks here. During some time, I thought about it, mostly during the Sydney Siege attacks in 2014, but I do not think that anymore and it does not worry me. I am not afraid of visiting famous sites in the city.
No me preocupa actualmente. Si lo estuve pensandolo durante algún tiempo, sobre todo en la época en el que sucedió el ataque al café en Sydney, pero ya no lo pienso mas y no me preocupa, ni siento miedo al visitar lugares famosos..
NUMBER 3
| Gender | Age | Location | Years living in Sydney |
| M F __X___ _____ | 25 | Wolli Creek | 1 year, 2 months |
| Educational level | Current course name | Educational institution type | |
| Cookery Certificate program– Colombia | General English (ELICOS) | College |
- I think Sydney is a very safe city. In my experience, I have not had major incidents in regards to my physical well-being. The areas where I live and work are safe. However, I suffered an incident, where some thefts stole my bicycle from the building where I was living previously in the CBD. I think the bicycle robberies might be out of control in Sydney currently.
Personalmente a mi me parece Sydney una ciudad muy segura, en mi experiencia no he tenido incidentes graves en cuanto a mi integridad fisica, las areas donde vivo y trabajo son muy seguras. Pero si vivi un incidente de robo de mi bicicleta cuando vivia en el CBD. Pienso que el robo de bicicletas puede estar descontrolado en Sydney.
- Yes. I went to work that day as usual and a friend of mine called to tell me that my bicycle has been stolen. I was living in a building near to Central Station. When I arrived home, I could confirm the bicycle has been robbed and I discovered that another 7 bicycles had also disappeared. I asked the landlord for the details of the building’s managers, and when I called, they told me that there was nothing to do about it and they could not help me more than just reporting the incident to the police. I asked for the security videos, but they refused to provide access to everybody. I felt alone and ignored. I went to the police station and they collected some bicycle details from me, but then they did nothing to help me. I could not recover the bicycle… I felt ignored…
Si, un dia fuí normal a trabajar y un amigo me llamó en mi trabajo a decirme que alguien se había robado mi bicicleta. En ese entonces yo vivía en un edificio cerca a Central Station. Cuando llegué a la casa, la bicicleta efectivamente no estaba y me dí cuenta que se habian robado 7 bicibletas más en ese edificio. Averigué con las personas que me arrendaban para conseguir el contacto de los administradores del edificio y ellos dijeron que no podían hacer nada, que los videos de seguridad no los podian mostrar, pero que ellos iban a avisar a la policia y todo quedo ahí. No me senti apoyado, me ignoraron, me dieron una respuesta de no hacer nada. Fuí a la policia después donde me pidieron datos de la bicicleta, pero no hicieron nada. En esa parte me senti desprotegido.
- In my perception, bicycles robbery might be one of the main crimes in the city.
Is all I can say.
En mi percepción el hurto de bicicletas puede ser lo mas representativo que puedo pensar.
- Yes, I do feel safe walking alone at night. I go out with friends for drinks several times during the week and usually I return late home, and I have not had any incidents during my walks so far.
Me siento muy seguro en la ciudad y si me siento seguro caminando en las noches solo. Muchas veces salimos con mis amigos a fiestas durante la semana y regreso a mi casa muy tarde en la noche y hasta ahora no he tenido ningún iconvenientes cuando camino solo en la noche.
- I believe police force is effective for significant crimes, but on minor incidents such as the bicycles’ robbery is not effective, because, in my case, they did not help to recover my bicycle at all. I have not had any other incidents or personal assaults.
Me parece que efectiva para los crimenes grandes que se puedan presentar, pero para las cosas pequeñas como el robo de bicicletas no es efectiva, porque cuando se robaron mi bicicleta no me ayudaron apra nada a recuperarla. No he tenido mas inconvenientes en cuanto a robos o as altos fisicos/personales.
- To be honest, I do not have clarity about the procedure to report incidents. I only know that I must go to the police station when an incident occurs, same as I did when my bicycle was stolen, but I do not know what else to do in case of a major incident. In personal assaults I suppose is the same procedure.
Para ser honesto no tengo claro el procedimiento. Sé que debo ir a la policia (que asi lo hice) cuando hay algún robo o incidente, pero no tengo muy claro que más se puede hacer. En asaltos personales me imagino que es el mismo procedimient.
- I did not receive any safety guide during orientation day at my school. I have learned about safety and security with my workmates and friends at home and from the Colombian community.
No recibí orientación acerca de la seguridad durante la orientación en la escuela. He venido aprendiendo sobre las cosas básicas de seguridad en el trabajo, con mis amigos y personas de la comunidad colombiana.
- I believe minor criminal incidents that can occur in Sydney might be more due to mental illness rather than people’s needs. In my country, many people steal because they need to eat or feed their families. This country gives people many opportunities, so they do not need to steal from others.
Yo pienso que las situaciones de criminalidad menor que pueden suceder en Sydney pueden ser más por enfermedad mental que necesidad, como pasa en mi pais, donde la gente muchas veces roba para comer o alimentar a sus familias. Este país brinda muchas oportunidades y la gente no tiene necesidad de robar.
- I do not use any protective measures. I always feel relaxed with my stuff when I am on the streets or at work. At home, I try to keep personal stuff away because I live in a share house with people from different cultural backgrounds, but in general, I feel safe and I do not use protective measures.
No uso medidas de protección, ando muy traquilo con mis cosas en la calle y en el trabajo. En mi casa intento tener todo guadado ya que la comparto con chicos de muchas otras culturas. De resto no tomo medidas de protección.
- I am not worried about terrorist attacks. I have visited many famous sites since I arrived and everything seems safe.
No me preocupan ataques terroriestas He visitado muchos sitios desde que llegué y todo se ve tranquilo y seguro.
NUMBER 4.
| Gender | Age | Location | Years living in Sydney |
| M F __X___ _____ | 34 | Brighton-Le- Sands | 6 years |
| Educational level | Current course name | Educational institution type | |
| Bachelor of Commerce – Colombia | Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Leadership and Management (VET course) | College |
- In my experience, despite Sydney is a very safe city, I have seen that the criminality might have increased during the last years, compared to a few years ago. Before I used to see a city with fewer incidents in news, now I see a lot of things happening every day, mostly within certain suburbs considered ‘not safe’. Also, many friends have suffered incidents with robberies recently, mostly related to bicycle stealing.
En mi experiencia, a pesar de que Sydney es una ciudad muy segura, he visto que los niveles de criminalidad si han aumentado al pasar de los años con respecto a cuando llegué a Australia. Antes no veía que pasara nada en la noticias, ahora veo situaciones de seguridad sobre todo en barrios no tan seguros. Tambien tengo amigos que han sido sometidos a robos, sobre todo de bicicletas.
- I have not had any incidents that could have impacted me directly, but, I was present when a friend that lived with me in a shared house was assaulted (robbed) losing her bag with all her documents and devices. I have a small cleaning business, and one of my clients living in the north lost his car this year.
Thefts broke into his garage and robbed the car. Other of my clients have suffered 3 attempts of house’s breaking in Vaucluse area like 3 years ago
En lo personal, no he tenido ningún incidente que me haya afectado directamente a mi, pero si presencié el robo de las pertenencias de una amiga en una casa que compartíamos. También uno de mis clientes del negocio de limpieza que tengo perdió su auto este año en un robo a su garage en la zona del norte, y otro cliente ha sufrido 3 intentos de as alto (robo) en su propiedad en los ultimos 2 años.
- In the area where I live and work, it might exist bicycle robbery and thefts stealing from mailboxes. One of my friends lost her new credit card that the bank had sent to her mailbox this year because there was a theft group stealing stuff from mailboxes in her area every day. A couple of months ago, other of my customers had to report to the police that her email account was trying to be hacked and her money in the bank was trying to be stolen. That is called ‘phishing’ in English… I believe so.
En el area donde vivo pueden haber robo de bicicletas y robo en los mailboxes. Una de mis amigas sufrió robo de su tarjeta de crédito nueva de su mailbox, porque aparentemente había un banda robando los mailbox de esa zona todos los días. Otro cliente tuvo que asistir varias veces a la policia hace un par de meses para denunciar el caso de hacking de sus cuentas bancarias donde los ladrones estaban intentando acceder a su cuenta bancaria para robarle su dinero, esto se llama ‘phishing’ en Inglés… creo…
- Currently, I feel safe depending on the area I am in. Besides criminality situations that might occur, one of the things that makes me feel unsafe is many drunk people on the streets particularly weekends.
Atcualmente dependiendo la zona donde esté me siento seguro o no. Aparte de situaciones de criminalidad que se puedan presentar una de las cosas que me hace sentir inseguro es la cantidad de personas en estado de embriaguez que se ven particularmente durante fin de semana.
- In my experience, I do think the police is effective in most cases, but not all of them. They are effective because they act very quick. They usually have good results and respond to the people that have had incidents adequately. For example, the responding time for my friend been assaulted on the street (bag robbery) was almost immediate, obtaining her bag back with all the documents and devices. That occurred almost five years ago. However, my customer who lost his car had a poor response from the police. He took almost five months for a response of the police regarding his car, and he never got it back. That was at the beginning of this year….In that case, the police were not so effective.
Yo pienso que la policia es efectiva en unos casos y otros no. Ellos intentan operar de la manera mas rapida possible, y segun lo que he podido ver es que tienen buenos resultados y le respondern a la gente que han tenido incidentes. Por ejemplo a mi amiga que le robaron el bolso, la policia recupero el bolso muy rapido con los papeles y los equipos que llevaba ahí. Eso fue hace casi cinco años. Sin embargo, en el caso del cliente que perdió el carro, demoraron mucho tiempo en darle una respuesta y nunca obtuvo el carro de vuelta. Eso fué a inicios de este año….En ese caso la policía no fué tan effectiva.
- First, communicate with the 000 zero phone line to report the incident and receive an orientation of what to do. Also, going to the police station or office to report the case.
Primero comunicarse a la linea de atencion 000 para reportar el incidente y recibir orientación. También acudir a la policia para denunciar cualquier incidente o robo
- I did not receive any safety guide to practice in or out of the campus during the orientation day.
No recibí ninguna guía de seguridad en campus o fuera de él durante el día de orientación
- I believe one of the reasons might be the laziness of people to obtain stuff though hard work. Other reason might be alcohol and drug consumption that leads people to be with a cloudy mental status and more prone to commit a crime.
Creo que una de las razones es las ganas de las personas de conseguir las cosas mas rápido, por pereza de trabajar. Otra razón puede ser el consumo de drogas y alcohol que hace que las personas estén con un estado mental alterado y más propensos a cometer crímenes
- The most relevant are: always making sure doors in my house are properly locked, and trying to change passwords in my credit/debit cards accounts periodically to avoid hacking.
Las que uso con frecuencia son: siempre trato de asegurar las puertas de mi casa; y tener cuidado con las tarjetas de débito y crédito, cambiando periódicamente las contraseñas online para evitar hacking.
- I am not worried about terrorist attacks in Sydney, I trust the Australian government has highly effective security measures to avoid this kind of situations. I have never been scared of travelling around Australia or visiting a place or being within the crowds.
No me precupan ataques terroristas en Sydney, confío en que las medidas de seguridad que toma el gobierno Asutraliano son altamente efectivas. Nunca he tenido miedo de visitor algún sitio, viajar alrededor de Australia o estar entre las multitudes.
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