Who is it for?

We support society by providing advice on risk communication, based on scientific insights, to the government (central government, provinces and municipalities), professionals and citizens. To this end, we also share our knowledge. 

• If you like to know more about the possibilities for research into risk communication for environmental and safety issues, please contact RIVM via onderzoekperceptieengedrag@rivm.nl. 
• To the publication overview for behavioural and perception research into ‘the environment and safety.

What can RIVM do?

Until recently, risk communication was for the most part a one-way street. A content expert would decide which information was important for a target group, without considering the perspective of the party receiving this information. As a result, the information did not always match this perspective, leading to failure to achieve the desired effect. However, there are several ways to find out what people are thinking or expecting and what ideas, questions and concerns they have regarding the environment and safety. RIVM uses literature reviews, interviews, focus groups and questionnaires, among other things. 

By comparing the perspectives of citizens and experts, it becomes clear which information is necessary. For example: more knowledge to make informed certain choices, answers to questions about concerns that experts had not considered and explanations of words that have different meanings to different people. These elements form the basis for risk communication, often combined with text and images. This information can subsequently be assessed within the target group: does the target group understand, trust and utilise the information when making choices?   

What are the possible benefits of risk communication?

For example, you may be able to use the results of research into risk communication to make your communications about risks and safety more effective. They can also be used as input for crisis communications policy or to evaluate and professionalise existing interventions. In concrete terms, for example, you could use the results to: 

• coordinate information about risks and safety with how the target group perceives its situation. For example, this could be useful in a situation where people worry about risks that experts consider trivial or a situation where people are actually underestimating the risks; 
• gain insight into what would motivate the members of a target group to exhibit safe behaviour and what they need to make the right decision in a specific situation;
• more effectively steer people towards the desired safe behaviour. For example, this could result from better insight into what motivates the target group to exhibit the safe behaviour and what they need to make the right decision; 
• bolster the target group’s sense of security by providing them with risk information they consider reliable, useful and easy to understand.