Figure 2:

Individuals are embedded in a variety of social safety circles that determine their moment-to-moment and lifelong experiences of social safety and threat. These social networks directly affect human health and behavior by influencing the extent to which people are exposed to objective forms of social safety (e.g., strong family cohesion, welcoming neighbors, inclusive public policy) and social threat (e.g., family conflict, hostile neighbors, divisive public policy). In addition, these networks indirectly affect health and behavior by exposing individuals to construals, messages, and meanings that shape their social safety schemas, which in turn influence their perceptions of the surrounding environment as being socially safe versus threatening. Strategies for promoting social safety can target any of these circles to promote social safety and reduce social threat as a means of improving human health and behavior.