Impact of terrorism awareness training on civilian likelihood to report pre-incident behaviours

Abstract

This study investigated whether terrorism awareness training impacts the likelihood to report pre-incident behaviours associated with terrorism using infographics from the U.S. “See Something, Say Something” campaign. Additional factors were considered to gain a comprehensive understanding of variables that influence reporting. With a sample of 342 students, mixed ANOVAs revealed a higher mean likelihood to formally and informally report pre-incident behaviours than nonempirical indicators, regardless of training. For pre-incident behaviours, regression analyses revealed likelihood to formally report increased as diffusion of responsibility and perceptions of community safety decreased, whereas informal reporting increased as delinquency decreased. For nonempirical indicators, the regression model for likelihood to formally report failed to reach significance, whereas informal reporting increased for those impacted by terrorism or not exposed to training, and as positive police perceptions and social disconnectedness increased. This expands the research on terrorism-related reporting and offers novel insight into factors that influence reporting decisions.