Most nuisance caused by loitering teens

One in ten Dutch people indicated they are bothered by loitering teens, drunks and/or other forms of social nuisance in their neighbourhood. Loitering teens were seen as the greatest nuisance, particularly in the larger Dutch cities.

One in ten people is confronted with a great deal of nuisance

In 2013, 51 percent of Dutch people aged over 15 indicated that they were occasionally confronted with loitering teens, drunks and/or other types of social nuisance, slightly less than the 52 percent who were in 2012. This comes down to a decrease of more than 153 thousand people.  However, the people who indicated they were confronted with a great deal of nuisance stayed the same at 10 percent. 

Social nuisance in the neighbourhood

Four times as much nuisance in the major cities than in rural areas

Social nuisance is a phenomenon that is twice as common in city neighbourhoods than in rural areas, and four times as many city dwellers are bothered by it. For instance, almost 70 percent of the people who live in the four biggest cities are occasionally confronted with one or more forms of undesirable behaviour in their neighbourhood, and 18 percent is often greatly bothered by this. In rural areas 37 percent indicated that nuisance occurs occasionally and 4 percent is personally bothered by it.

Social nuisance by degree of urbanisation, 2013

Loitering teens cause greatest problems

Loitering teens created the most problems in the neighbourhoods: in 2013 on average 6 percent of Dutch people were bothered a great deal by them. This is slightly less than in 2012 (7 percent). In the four major cities some 12 percent is greatly bothered by loitering teens, in rural areas 3 percent.

It is not just the problem of loitering teens that is greater in the four major cities, the other types of nuisance also occur more frequently there. Five times as many city dwellers are greatly bothered by drunks in the street or by drug users and dealers than people in the non-urbanised municipalities. They are also six times as likely to be accosted on the streets.

Great deal of nuisance caused by loitering teens in the neighbourhood, by degree of urbanisation

Rianne Kloosterman