"Dunja Hayali admitted to experiencing a period in her life that was detrimental to her well-being"
In a report titled "On the Pulse with Dunja Hayali: The Inner (In-)Security," ZDF journalist Dunja Hayali explores the increasing feeling of insecurity among Germans. The report reveals that perceived insecurity in Germany is driven primarily by fears related to crime, terrorism, immigration, economic uncertainty, and social change.
The report suggests that these fears reflect not only real events but also subjective feelings influenced by various social and political contexts. Both traditional media and social media play crucial roles in shaping this perception of insecurity, but their influences differ.
Traditional media often emphasize crime stories, immigration issues, and political debates, contributing to an amplified public sense of threat. News outlets may focus on dramatic or negative events, which heightens perceived insecurity even beyond actual risk levels. On the other hand, social media further intensifies these perceptions by rapidly spreading information, misinformation, and emotionally charged content. Algorithms tend to reinforce users' existing views by showing similar content repeatedly, sometimes leading to echo chambers where fears and anxieties about security are magnified.
Dunja Hayali states that violence is usually linked to educationally disadvantaged, financially weak structures and often trauma, not cultural backgrounds. A case from Magdeburg is shown in the report where a young man with an Islamic background was the victim of a racially motivated knife attack, but the media hardly reported on it. This suggests that the focus on crimes committed by perpetrators with a migration background in reporting may not accurately represent the reality of violent crimes in Germany.
The report argues that people with less education often do not believe statistics because they overestimate the frequency and importance of loud and noticeable events. This misperception is further exacerbated by misinformation and disinformation, which create confusion and distrust towards authorities and minority groups.
Political narratives and intra-party conflicts, such as those within Germany’s Social Democratic Party, also reflect and influence public debates about security and peace policies. Refugee and migrant issues, where uncertainty around asylum status and social integration contribute to feelings of insecurity for both migrants and parts of the resident population, also play a role.
However, the report suggests that these violent crimes do not only occur in migrant environments. The film reveals that it's not areas with many migrants that are dangerous in Germany, but rather precarious, i.e., poor areas. The Belgian city of Mechelen, once very unsafe, has seen a significant decrease in violence due to unconventional methods like camera monitoring, accountability for families of juvenile offenders, and making everyone feel included.
Dunja Hayali argues that fear is not a good companion and that talking about personal experiences with violence helps. A project by the University of Konstanz and the Leopoldina achieves great success with quickly trained trauma counselors for refugees who urgently need therapy, but only one in ten receives it. The project proposed to the federal government in 2018, which achieves success with quickly trained trauma counselors for refugees, deserves more attention.
In summary, perceived insecurity in Germany is a multifaceted phenomenon influenced by real events, psychological factors, group identities, and especially by the framing and dissemination practices of traditional and social media, which contribute to shaping public attitudes and sometimes heighten anxiety beyond objective levels. Tackling this issue requires a fact-based approach, involving the people, as suggested by Dunja Hayali.
The report airs on ZDF on August 21, 8:15 PM.
[1] "Refugees' Mental Health in Germany: Challenges and Opportunities." (2019) [3] "The Impact of Trauma on Refugees in Germany." (2017) [5] "Psychosocial Support for Refugees in Germany: A Review." (2016)
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