WORDS MATTER: THE LANGUAGE OF CROWDS
“The chief virtue that language can have is clearness, and nothing detracts from it so much as the use of unfamiliar words.” - Hippocrates
When describing crowds and crowd-related accidents/incidents, the vocabulary is often inconsistent and sometimes misleading. On many occasions, incorrect words are used to define crowd density, crowd risks and, hence, crowd safety. Some forms of words even prematurely assume the cause of death in the minutes following an incident.
Examples include:
General Descriptive Terms – Broad descriptors of crowd conditions: Overcrowded, Full, Overflowing, Rammed, Packed to the gunwales, Wall-to-wall.
Misleading Comparisons & Colloquialisms – Metaphors or informal terms that misrepresent crowd risk: Like Piccadilly Circus, School of fish, Mobbed, Overpopulated.
Emotionally Charged & Misused Terms – Often misapplied in reporting, distorting incident realities: Crushed, Stampede, Panic, Trampled.
NB: these terms may be correct in certain, limited circumstances, however when used inaccurately the consequences can be significant.
Specifically, words like “crushed”, “stampede”, “trample[d]” and “panic” are often used in the media to define how (and why) a crowd incident occurs. This can influence legal proceedings and distort public perception, which can mislead enquiries into the root causes of, and hence, future prevention of crowd-related accidents and incidents. They can also misinform the public and potentially generate inappropriate or dangerous responses to future incidents.
Recent research has shown that the way in which media reports on crowd incidents “can influence public understanding and emotional response, shaping societal perceptions and potentially
impacting safety measures and preparedness strategies": (How crowd accidents are reported in the news media)
Global Crowd Management Alliance® (GCMA) has created the present resource to assist journalists, legal professionals, public officials and other stakeholders to accurately communicate crowd safety information to the public, alongside industry professionals. By promoting accurate terminology, we hope to improve understanding, support effective crowd management, and enhance public safety.
This is a ‘living document’ and GCMA welcomes feedback and critique, to ensure it remains a relevant and useful resource. Such correspondence should be directed to hello@thegcma.com