Public behaviour in response to perceived hostile threats: An evidence base and guide for practitioners and policymakers

By using a combination of archive data for incidents in Great Britain 2010-2019, interviews, video data analysis, and controlled experiments using virtual reality technology, the authors were able to examine experiences, measure behaviour, and test hypotheses about underlying psychological mechanisms in both false alarms and public interventions against a hostile threat. Civil contingencies planning and preparedness for hostile threats requires accurate and up to date knowledge about how the public might behave in relation to such incidents. Inaccurate understandings of public behaviour can lead to dangerous and counterproductive practices and policies.

This publications provides the following recommendations for practitioners and policymakers:

• Embed the psychology of public behaviour in emergencies in your training and guidance.
• Continue to inform the public and promote public awareness where there is an increased threat.
• Build long-term relations with the public to achieve trust and influence in emergency preparedness.
• Use a unifying language and supportive forms of communication to enhance unity both within the crowd and between the crowd and the authorities.
• Authorities and responders should take a reflexive approach to their responses to possible hostile threats, by reflecting upon how their actions might be perceived by the public and impact (positively and negatively) on public behaviour.
• To give emotional support, prioritize informative and actionable risk and crisis communication overemotional reassurances.
• Provide first aid kits in transport infrastructures to enable some members of the public more effectively to act as zero responders.