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PBSD – Post Burglary Stress Disorder

60% of burglary victims never feel safe again

OK, so PBSD is something we’ve just made up. However, while that’s not an officially recognised condition as such, according to new research, 6 out of 10 victims of burglary never feel secure in their homes again. 1000 people who had suffered a break-in were polled for the study and it concluded that the long-term effects of being burgled were significant. It also found that:

  • The average person takes around 7 months before they feel recovered from a burglary
  • A quarter of people feel they have to move home in order to feel safe again
  • A third said the incident had significantly knocked their confidence
  • A fifth said they didn’t feel comfortable being in the house on their own
  • 6 in 10 said their home felt tainted

The emotional impact of a break-in was closely linked to the nature of the items stolen and the manner of the break-in. The biggest upset was caused by sentimental items being taken, which was considered much worse than having expensive but replaceable items like TVs and computers stolen. Those that suffered wilful damage and vandalism also found it more difficult to overcome.

It would appear that once the trauma of burglary has been experienced, it is very difficult to get that feeling of safety back again.

At the risk of sounding cliché, prevention is better than cure, ie:

Taking measures to avoid a break-in is much easier than recovering from one.

Unfortunately, we find that many people only come to us AFTER a break-in. For many, the potential risk of a burglary doesn’t seem real enough to warrant the investment in a burglar alarm or good locks. As we can see from the results of this research, the cost of not sufficiently securing your home is much higher.

We like to think that the security measures we put in place for those who have been victim to a break-in such as a burglar alarm, anti-snap locks and CCTV systems do help people feel safe again but we’d much rather help them prevent an incident in the first place.

If you would like to minimise your risk of a break in or make sure it doesn’t happen again get in touch by calling 0800 612 9799 (from a landline) or 0345 833 5543 (from a mobile).