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Original Research
Comparing global and community indicators of safety and peace
Submitted: 11 November 2025 | Published: 24 June 2026
About the author(s)
Naiema Taliep, Institute for Social and Health Sciences, College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa, Western Cape, South Africa; and Violence, Injury and Social Asymmetries Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South AfricaGhouwa Ismail, Institute for Social and Health Sciences, College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa, Western Cape, South Africa; and Violence, Injury and Social Asymmetries Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
Shahnaaz Suffla, Institute for Social and Health Sciences, College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa, Western Cape, South Africa; and Violence, Injury and Social Asymmetries Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
Mohamed Seedat, Institute for Social and Health Sciences, College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa, Lenasia, South Africa
Lu-Anne Swart, Institute for Social and Health Sciences, College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa, Lenasia, South Africa
Ashley van Niekerk, Institute for Social and Health Sciences, College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa, Western Cape, South Africa; and Violence, Injury and Social Asymmetries Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
Shrikant I. Bangdiwala, Population Health Research Institute, Department of Health Research Methods, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada
Abstract
Indicators measuring the progress of safety and peace have been pursued at a macro (global) and meso level (community). While global indicators focus on the country-level indicators, it does not consider the community-level contextually relevant needs of the indicators. While the global indicators present a general framework to measure safety and peace, these constructs are dynamic and fluid, and thus understood differently within and across countries, provinces and communities. Drawing on data collected through community participatory processes, this study aims to compare existing global indicators with community-level indicators of peace and safety and to evaluate the usefulness of these global indicators for measuring peace and safety at the community level. This study forms part of a larger study the Community Safety And Peace Index (CSPI) that aimed to develop a contextually and psychometrically valid and reliable instrument to assess, monitor and promote safety and peace at the community level.
Contribution: The analysis of the data revealed several dimensions of safety and peace, including physical (dis)order, social (dis)order, community cohesion, structural security, social justice, affective and interpersonal relationships, crime and violence and values.
Keywords
Sustainable Development Goal
Metrics
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