See it. Say it. Sorted. An empirical analysis of the influence of the British Vigilance Campaign

Vigilant campaigns (VCs) have been implemented as counterterrorism measurements in countries like the USA since the attacks of 9/11. Yet, many European countries besides the UK are reluctant to implement VCs, being concerned of scaring their citizens by communicating potential terroristic threats. Previous academic examinations do not counter this concern, but only highlight VCs' potential of mobilizing individuals to report something suspicious. Thus, this paper questions the concerns assuming greater capacities of VCs, as they potentially create a feeling of safety and empowerment by sharing responsibility with citizens to be vigilant. The influence of the recent British “See it. Say it. Sorted.” -campaign on individuals is empirically analysed, testing three hypotheses regarding individuals' awareness of terroristic threats, feeling of safety and changed behaviour due to the VC. The hypotheses find support, wherefore, this paper concludes that the beforehand mentioned concerns are not justified as there is no negative impact on individuals.