Gender-specific reactions to environmental hazards in the Netherlands

In this study differences in appraisal, feelings of insecurity, and ways of coping were assessed between men and women, and related to their level of formal education. The sample consisted of 513 men and women who responded to a mailed questionnaire dealing with the hazards of living in an estate with soil pollution, near a chemical plant, or in the vicinity of a planned site for the storage of radioactive waste. The results show that women assess the hazards as more unacceptable and threatening, and report more feelings of insecurity than men. A number of possible explanations is reviewed.