Impact and influence

See the impact and influence our research is having on crowd management including case studies, guidance documents, consultancies and end-user publications.

Impact case studies 

From improving crowd safety procedures to changing crowd management practices – our research is driving change. 

  • Read our impact case studies
    •  

    • : United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Scientific and Technical Advisory Group Case Study. 

Guidance documents

These guidance documents cite our published work and use concepts developed on our research as part of the rationale for practice in the response to emergencies and disasters. 

  • Guidance documents
    •  This document cites our research on the July 7th bombings as part of the rationale for psychosocial care in which people in crowds are assumed to have the potential capacity to respond adaptively. It also cites our definition of collective resilience. 
    •  This also cites our work on the London bombings.
    •  This document cites Holly Carter's work showing that communication and respect facilitate mass decontamination.
    •  This document also cites Holly Carter's work on communication in mass decontamination.
    •  This document is a guidance for chemical incidents and cites Holly Carter's work.

Applications and consultancies 

Our reports and documents for applications and consultancies are driving policy. 

  • See our consultancies 

     

    Crowd psychology and public behaviour for the Lying-in-State at the Queen's funeral.

    Providing crowd psychology training for Ukrainian diplomats. 

    Work with SPI-B (behavioural science subgroup of SAGE) during the pandemic. 

    This submission summarises the findings of a three-year programme of desk-based and primary research designed to: investigate public behaviour in relation to CBRN decontamination; identify the casualty management practices (behaviours and forms of communication by responders) that could be changed to improve the efficacy of mass casualty decontamination after CBRN contamination; and develop recommendations for practice based on the findings.

     

    A report on the response to the London bombings of 7 July 2005, with recommendations which were aimed at ensuring the lessons to be learned from the response to the 7th July attacks on London were acted upon. 

    This report was produced to disseminate the findings of a three-year research project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and based at the Psychology Department at the 小蓝视频, which looked at the psychology and behaviour of crowds in disasters and mass emergencies. 

     "Gathering" was an exhibition of two film works by London-based artist Melanie Manchot, and Fabrica Gallery in Brighton commissioned John Drury and David Novelli to write a piece about crowd psychology to accompany to the two film pieces.

    Psychology of crowd safety management Current and recent training courses in psychology of crowd safety management.

End-user publications

See how our research has been featured in trade and industry publications.

  • Read our news stories and features
    • Drury, J. (2021).  The Crowd Magazine.
    • Drury, J. (2020). . Festival Insights.
    • Drury, J. (2019, October 13th). . The Crowd Magazine.
    • Templeton, A., & Drury, J. (2018, July 19th).  People Movement Online.
    • Drury, J. (2018, July 18th).  Festival Insights. 
    • Carter, H. (2015). The role of social psychology in the management of mass decontamination. Emergency Services Times, August, 83.
    • Carter, H. (2015).  CBNW, January, 54-57.
    • Drury, J. (2015).  Festival Insights, July 22nd.
    • Drury, J. (2014).  Continuity, 3, 16-17.
    • Drury, J. (2009).  Safety and Health Practitioner, April, 34-36.
    • Drury, J. (2009).  Stadium and Arena Management, February, 26-29.
    • Drury, J. (2009).  CBRNe World, Spring, 40-42.
    • Drury, J. (2009).  Business Continuity Journal, 3, 15-24. 

Psychology of crowd safety management training

We deliver a course aimed at all professionals who work with or plan around crowd and event safety.

  • Find out more about psychology of crowd safety management training 

    About the course

    This two-day course is aimed at event organisers, licencing authorities, stewarding organisations, stadium managers, health and safety officers, emergency/resilience planners, and emergency responders (fire, police, and ambulance).

    Those who work with crowds in these contexts depend upon knowledge of crowd behaviour and psychology in order to enhance positive crowd experiences, maintain safety and security, and to manage risks.

    This Masterclass presents the latest scientific research and thinking in crowd psychology. It will provide event safety professionals with core concepts and principles transferable across a variety of domains, as well as presenting rationales for practice in specific areas.

    Finally, it will offer a set of practical recommendations and guidelines on how to use group psychology to manage safety and enhance resilience in crowd events.

    Activities will consist of a series of lectures alongside workshop exercises.

    Courses

    • May 2016, Jeddah: A workshop for Hajj crowd psychology
    • January 2020, Dublin: 
    • February 2020, Netherlands: 
    • September 2023, Utrecht:  
    • February 2024, Dublin:  
    • Edinburgh City Council:  Crowd Psychology for Crowd Safety Management
    • September 2024, Amsterdam:  

    Online training resources

    •  - Professor John Drury [YouTube]. 
    • Drury, J. (2021).  The Crowd Magazine.
    • Drury, J., Rogers, M. B., Marteau, T. M., Yardley, L., Reicher, S., & Stott, C. (2021). . Safety Science139, 105243.
    • Drury, J. (2020).鈥疐estival Insights.
    • Drury, J. (2019, October 13th). . The Crowd magazine.
    • Drury J, Carter H, Cocking C, Ntontis E, Tekin Guven S and Amlôt R (2019) Front. Public Health 7:141. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00141 
    • Drury, J. (2018, July 18th).  Festival Insights. 

Contact

If you have any questions, email J.Drury@sussex.ac.uk.

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