Users’ Perception of Compliance of Security Features with Defensible Space Principles in Selected Secondary Schools in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
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Abstract
Description
The idea of preventing crime by strategically using the environment as tool has been
explored for decades. Defensible space provides architectural strategies for effectively
preventing crime by reorganizing the physical environment and giving inhabitants control over
their surroundings. This study seeks to examine the security features allaying with defensible
space in four selected secondary schools in Ota, Ogun state, Nigeria, with a view to making
contributions on how to improve security in such environments for users. The study identifies
areas for further improvements based on users' perception, towards enhancing security in the
academic environments in Nigeria. Four selected secondary schools in Ota, publicly and
privately owned was used for the study. The study used quantitative and qualitative research
methods to obtain data from 149 students, in addition with 33 teachers from four secondary
schools. The collected data were descriptively analysed with the use of SPSS (Statistical
Package for Social Science) software. Results showed that there are evidences of elements of
defensible space strategies, which are Territoriality and Natural surveillance that were
adequately perceived and being implemented by the respondents. Deterioration of school
buildings and poor road construction were seen. These were evidences of the elements of Milieu
and Image, an indication of defensible space perception. Students dissatisfaction with overall
school security was also revealed. The study further shows that appropriate maintenance
strategies can help enhance the physical and security conditions of school environment in
Nigeria.
Keywords
NA Architecture, TH Building construction