PERCEPTION OF SECURITY IN PARANÁ: ANALYSIS OF ASSOCIATED FACTORS BASED ON A GAMIFIED ONLINE SURVEY

Abstract

This article analyzes the public security perception of the population of the state of Paraná in 2025, investigating it’s demographic and geographic variations in a scenario of a sharp drop in official crime rates. For this purpose, an online survey was conducted with 972 residents of the state, using a structured questionnaire. Data collection employed an innovative gamification strategy, featuring a real-time results dashboard to increase participant engagement. The results indicate that the perception of security is predominantly "Good" (43.52%) or "Regular" (32.82%), not reflecting the magnitude of the reduction in registered crimes. Stratified analysis revealed a negative correlation between municipality size and the perception of security, with large urban centers and the female gender exhibiting a significantly higher feeling of insecurity. The study corroborates the "fear-of-crime paradox" thesis for the Paraná context and validates a high-engagement methodology for online social research. It is concluded that the improvement of security perception demands public policies focused on the co-production of trust, beyond criminal repression.