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
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Recognising and Understanding Collective Resilience in Crowds of Survivors: 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
- Psychosocial care for people affected by disasters and major incidents. 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.
- NHS emergency planning guidance: Planning for the psychosocial and mental health care of people affected by major incidents and disasters. This also cites our work on the London bombings.
- US Department of Homeland Security, US Department of Health and Human Services. Patient Decontamination in a Mass Chemical Exposure Incident: National Planning Guidance for Communities. Washington, DC: US Department of Homeland Security, US Department of Health and Human Services; 2014. This document cites Holly Carter's work showing that communication and respect facilitate mass decontamination.
- Harvard School of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Exercise Program. Proposed Minimum Decontamination Capabilities for Hospitals in Massachusetts. Boston, MA: Harvard School of Public Health; 2014. This document also cites Holly Carter's work on communication in mass decontamination.
- Primary Response Incident Scene Management (PRISM). Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority (2015). 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.
Evidence to the Commons Science and Technology Committee on CBRN emergencies
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.
London Assembly 7 July Review Committee Volume 4: follow-up report
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.
Mass psychology of disasters and emergency evacuations
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 University of Sussex, which looked at the psychology and behaviour of crowds in disasters and mass emergencies.
Collective joy and the power of the crowd
"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). How can psychology help address challenges for the live events industry in 2021? The Crowd Magazine.
- Drury, J. (2020). What Is ‘Atmosphere’ – and How Can You Help Create It at Your Event?. Festival Insights.
- Drury, J. (2019, October 13th). The new psychology of crowd safety management. The Crowd Magazine.
- Templeton, A., & Drury, J. (2018, July 19th). What is a crowd? Implications for computer simulation. People Movement Online.
- Drury, J. (2018, July 18th). Responding to people’s emotional needs in an emergency. Festival Insights.
- Carter, H. (2015). The role of social psychology in the management of mass decontamination. Emergency Services Times, August, 83.
- Carter, H. (2015). Managing the masses. CBNW, January, 54-57.
- Drury, J. (2015). Bringing crowd psychology into event safety management. Festival Insights, July 22nd.
- Drury, J. (2014). Getting the crowd behind you. Continuity, 3, 16-17.
- Drury, J. (2009). Far from the madding crowd. Safety and Health Practitioner, April, 34-36.
- Drury, J. (2009). Crowds and stress. Stadium and Arena Management, February, 26-29.
- Drury, J. (2009). Crowd dispersal. CBRNe World, Spring, 40-42.
- Drury, J. (2009). Managing crowds in emergencies: Psychology for business continuity. 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
- January 2020, Dublin: Safe Events (Ireland) Masterclass
- February 2020, Netherlands: Event Safety Academy Masterclass
- September 2023, Utrecht: Crowd Psychology for Crowd Safety Management, Event Safety Institute
- February 2024, Dublin: Crowd Psychology for Crowd Safety Management
- September 2024, Amsterdam: Crowd Psychology for Crowd Safety Management
Online training resources
- Using Group Psychology to Enhance Crowd Safety - Professor John Drury [YouTube].
- Drury, J. (2021). How can psychology help address challenges for the live events industry in 2021? The Crowd Magazine.
- Drury, J., Rogers, M. B., Marteau, T. M., Yardley, L., Reicher, S., & Stott, C. (2021). Re-opening live events and large venues after Covid-19 ‘lockdown’: Behavioural risks and their mitigations. Safety Science, 139, 105243.
- Drury, J. (2020). What Is ‘Atmosphere’ – and How Can You Help Create It at Your Event?Festival Insights.
- Drury, J. (2019, October 13th). The new psychology of crowd safety management. The Crowd magazine.
- Drury J, Carter H, Cocking C, Ntontis E, Tekin Guven S and Amlôt R (2019) Facilitating Collective Psychosocial Resilience in the Public in Emergencies: Twelve Recommendations Based on the Social Identity Approach. Front. Public Health 7:141. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00141
- Drury, J. (2018, July 18th). Responding to people’s emotional needs in an emergency. Festival Insights.
Contact
If you have any questions, email J.Drury@sussex.ac.uk.