The mass taking pictures all the way through Hanukkah in Bondi Seaside is a horrific reminder that fresh terrorism can impact the puts the place we meet others, store, have fun and behavior our day by day lives. On the other hand, our analysis means that what the United Kingdom public fears and assumes about terrorism threats is slightly other from fact.
In 2022, we requested 5,000 other people in the United Kingdom about their studies and perceptions of terror danger and counter-terrorism measures.
Respondents instructed us the primary phrase that got here to thoughts once they heard the phrase terrorism. Maximum distinguished of their responses are references to bombs and bombings. This isn’t unexpected, given the worldwide prominence of such terrorist ways for a while. On the other hand, proof displays that just about “80% of UK domestic terrorist attacks since 2018 have been carried out with bladed or blunt force weapons”.
In recent times, an international shift in terror ways has made explosive assaults much less commonplace. Much less refined approach of assaults – akin to arson and using bladed guns and firearms – have turn out to be extra interesting financially and logistically, particularly amongst lone actors.
In western Europe, terrorism is increasingly more perpetrated by the use of “low-tech attacks against public spaces carried out with everyday items”. This comprises assaults the usage of cars as guns, which has ended in a up to date building up in opposed automobile protecting infrastructure in towns.
Solutions to ‘What’s the first phrase you recall to mind whilst you listen the phrase
Sara Fregonese and Paul Simpson, CC BY
The United Kingdom public isn’t neurotically anticipating explosions and fatal assaults, then again. Simplest 8% of our respondents noticed terrorism as a very powerful drawback dealing with the United Kingdom, ranked at the back of poverty, well being, the surroundings, and unemployment / activity safety. Additionally it is noticed as extra important than racism / discrimination, delinquency, and highway protection.
It is necessary that the general public is aware of what the character of that drawback is, particularly taking into consideration the Nationwide Terrorism Risk Stage has remained both critical or considerable for the previous a number of years which means an assault is most likely.
Various perceptions
We additionally requested respondents how they felt about the specter of terrorism in comparison with a couple of years in the past. An identical numbers felt extra all in favour of terrorism threats than in earlier years (39.83%), as the ones feeling much less involved (35.65%). On the other hand, when breaking knowledge down by means of non secular belonging, a extra advanced image emerged.
We noticed diametrically adverse emotions of outrage amongst Christians and Jewish respondents at the one hand, and Muslims and Sikhs at the different. In 2022, 49.6% of Jewish respondents declared themselves extra all in favour of terrorism threats than a couple of years previous. Importantly, this preceded the Manchester Synagogue assault in November 2025 and the Bondi Seaside assault.
In a similar way, 47.3% of Christian respondents felt extra all in favour of terrorist threats than in earlier years. Simply 27.9% of Muslim respondents and 29% of Sikh respondents mentioned they felt extra all in favour of terrorism threats than a couple of years previous.
Muslim (48.3%) and Sikh (44.7%) respondents in large part felt much less all in favour of terrorism in 2022 in comparison to a couple of years previous. A decrease share of Jewish (22.4%) and Christian (33%) respondents felt much less all in favour of terrorism in 2022.
Converting worry about terror danger by means of non secular trust (2022)
Sara Fregonese and Paul Simpson, CC BY
We want to higher know how those perceptions and variations in issues have shaped. They is also attached to societal polarisation, and with other approaches and reactions to counter-terrorism measures.
Responding to terrorism
Those findings topic for a way governments reply to, and get ready the general public for, terror threats.
UK executive counter-terrorism coverage has not too long ago come underneath scrutiny. A record by means of the impartial fee for counter-terrorism regulation, revealed in November 2025, referred to as for considerable adjustments to the present device. This incorporated suggestions for a narrower definition of terrorism and an overhaul of the Save you Responsibility, which calls for public our bodies to spot and record indicators of radicalisation.
The federal government’s nationwide safety technique has additionally been criticised by means of the United Kingdom Unbiased Reviewer of Terrorism Regulation for now not taking on-line terror threats severely sufficient.
One of the crucial ways in which governments reply to terror threats is thru data campaigns supposed to alert and train the general public at the present nature of danger. And but, our knowledge displays that public consciousness of such campaigns is worryingly low – 83.5% of respondents aren’t conscious about them in any respect. That charge declines additional for the ones elderly 50 and over.
Those that mentioned they’re conscious about counter-terrorism data campaigns in large part didn’t recall what those campaigns in fact are. Their solutions gave incomplete, mistaken or conflated marketing campaign names and slogans.
An iconic slogan, however would you recognise it as a counter-terror message?
Simon Leigh/Alamy
One may wonder whether a couple of campaigns – Run, Disguise, Inform (2015-onwards); See it, Say it, Looked after (2016-onwards); Motion Counters Terrorism (2017-onwards) – have in fact produced confusion relatively than readability a few of the public over the character of terror danger and what to be careful for. Similarly, they are going to have turn out to be this kind of ubiquitous background in our towns, that individuals are actually paying little consideration.
It is very important to handle those misalignments between public working out of terrorism and the present proof. The general public wishes transparent, simple to bear in mind, and up to date details about present threats. With out this, other people will combat to recognise present threats and attune their instincts on easy methods to react to them appropriately.
And, whilst the messaging must be coherent, consideration must be paid to the glaring variety of studies and perspectives about danger and security features. Given our findings on how other demographic teams understand terrorism, the hot name for equality affect checks of counter-terrorism measures is a well timed one certainly.
