Norwegians are less and less concerned about terror

Terror exercise in Norway.Photo: Torstein Bøe / NTB scanpix

Norwegians fear of terrorism and terrorist attacks are getting smaller, shows new figures from the Armed Forces’ population survey.

 

From 2014 to 2015, Norwegians’ terror fears rose by 10 percent. In 2016 it increased further before it began to fall. In the Armed Forces’ fresh investigation, 34 percent state that they are “very” or “quite” concerned with terrorism or terrorist attacks.

The rise in 2015 can probably be explained by several major terrorist attacks in Europe, which increased concern also in Norway. Now the concern has been lower these past two consecutive years.

“It’s hard for me to say why. Terrorist attacks are the police’s task to deal with, and the Armed Forces can provide assistance following the police’s request,” said Defense Chief Haakon Bruun-Hanssen to NTB.

Concern for cyber attacks was the biggest concern among the population in 2017, according to the survey, which was conducted for the first time in 2011. 15 percent are “very concerned” for attacks on IT networks, while 34 percent are “quite worried”. Only 8 percent respond that they are not worried.

Also the concern of crime and violence in society is greater than terror this year’s survey shows. 44 percent are “very” or “quite” worried about it.

There is a decline in the worry of war or attacks on Norwegian soil. 5 percent are very concerned, while 13 percent are quite worried.

– “The answers to this survey have varied over time and were at their highest in 2015, but are now back at the level from the years before. The reason for these results are due to what is happening in the world around us,” said Bruun-Hanssen.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today