7 in 10 Dutch adults worry about a terrorist attack in the Netherlands

Terrorist attacks in the last years made the Dutch to live with the fear of such an abominable act. According to a survey by the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), 70 percent of adults say they sometimes worry about a possible terrorist attack in the Netherlands, but only a few of them believe in the probability of becoming a victim of such an attack.

CBS Research Experiences published recently the results of a survey carried out from February to May 2016, a period took which was marked by the terrorist attack which took place on 22 March in Brussels, at metro stations and the Zaventem airport, when 32 people died.

Thus, the survey concluded that almost 70 percent of adults say they sometimes worry about a possible terrorist attack in the Netherlands, while 16 percent say they have even often these concerns. On the other hand, 19 percent rarely or never worry about a possible terrorist attack.

Women are more concerned about possible attacks in the Netherlands than men, 76 percent of them fear of such an act of terror, while only 61% of the men share the same attitude.

Despite these concerns, only 4 percent of those surveyed think that they could become a victim of terror, women being more fearful than men in this matter, while approximately three-quarters think this is unlikely.

On the other hand, the chance of a terrorist attack in the Netherlands is also high, given that four in ten Dutch adults think that their country could become a target for terrorists.

Although those questioned think that the likelihood of becoming a victim of an attack is lower, nearly 4 in 10 transmit to the adults to be alert in daily life in relation to a potential terrorist attack.

“They say especially to watch for suspicious persons or suspicious behaviour such as fidgeting, or people who hang out in places where they need to be apparently not. Also specifically considering people with large backpacks or suitcases, and people with a foreign appearance. In addition, many of the people that they see around them in general, especially in places where many people are together as major events, railway stations, airports and shopping centres. Suspicious situations, such as unattended bags or suitcases are also regularly monitored,” CBS reports.

Due to the fear of terrorist attacks, almost half of the people questioned get to avoid certain holiday destinations they consider to be unsafe, especially Turkey, 7% saying they have eliminated it as a holiday destination. Others, still, much less in number, avoid air travel and visiting certain places in the Netherlands, like the places where are

Others, still, much less in number, avoid air travel and visiting certain places in the Netherlands, like the places where are organised major events, which are bypassed by 7% of the people questioned. In both cases, it is a group of seven percent saying not to do this, while a small group of 3 percentage opts not to travel by public transport in order to avoid a possible attack.