Living in a VUCA world

Living in a VUCA World

A cost-of-living crisis, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and political change; the acronym VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) seems apt for the tinderbox the UK is experiencing.

Civil Unrest

The rioting and social unrest sparked by the murders in Southport in July 2024 demonstrated society’s fragile foundations and the potential explosiveness of unlawful behaviour.

This most recent wave of violent protests echoes the series of riots that began in London in 2011, sparked by demands for justice over the fatality of Mark Duggan, a black man shot dead by police.

Similarly, anti-racism protests were triggered following George Floyd's death in America. Although these were largely peaceful demonstrations, statues representing historical injustices were toppled in various locations across the UK.

These events are all evidence of how quickly groups of people can mobilise and act outside of the law en masse. In the middle are innocent people trying to do their jobs, live their lives and not get caught in the crossfire.

Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG)

Violence against women and girls remains a deeply entrenched issue across society. In the first national analysis of the scale of violence against women and girls, the figures estimated that two million women are victims of violence perpetrated by men each year.

Crimes including stalking, harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence affect one in 12 women in England and Wales. These are cautious estimates with most of these crimes being underreported.

The police national lead for VAWG has characterised the situation a ‘national emergency’ with society needing to “make change and no longer accept violence against women and girls as inevitable.”

Focus on VAWG intensified after the 2021 rape and murder of Sarah Everard, with subsequent high-profile cases, including the murders of Sabina Nessa and Aisling Murphy, further highlighting the frightening reality faced by women and girls.

“We are extremely concerned about the scale of violence against women and girls, that has now been recognised by the National Polices Chiefs’ Council as ‘an epidemic scale of offending'. We urge a multiagency approach to tackle the systemic causes across society and reduce the growing number of perpetrators of crimes such as stalking and harassment.”

Saskia Garner, Head of Policy and Campaigns, The Suzy Lamplugh Trust

Workplace Violence and Abuse

Workplace violence and aggression is a serious social issue. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a notable increase in violence and abuse directed towards workers, causing profound negative consequences for individuals, teams, organisations and society as a whole.

Certain occupations are more vulnerable to workplace violence and abuse, with many employees feeling this is an inevitable part of their job. One industry where abuse is spiking is retail. Violence and abuse against shop workers continues to rise, increasing by 50% year-on-year to 2023.

This trend extends beyond traditional work environments; employees are increasingly targeted outside of work hours, facing stalking and harassment after shifts and during commutes. This is not confined to the retail sector with 60% of people feeling unsafe travelling on public transport during unsociable hours.

Personal safety technology is no longer a luxury. It has become a necessity to provide protection and offer peace of mind in an increasingly unpredictable world.