Fear of Crime

Understanding Fear of Crime

Fear of crime is a very popular topic among criminologists and other social scientists, not to mention journalists, politicians, and the general public. However, the term fear of crime is used rather loosely and inconsistently in research and public discussions. It is best understood as an emotion or feeling. People who fear crime experience anxiety, concern, alarm, or dread caused by a belief that crime will happen to them or to others close to them. Fear is not the same as a perception of a dangerous environment or a belief in the likelihood of becoming a crime victim—rather, these are possible causes of fear, not indications of fear per se. Similarly, it is not the same as believing that crime is increasing—having such a belief might cause one’s fear to increase, but not necessarily, especially if one expects that the victims of increasing crime will be “others,” such as people who live elsewhere or who engage in risky behaviors.

Unlike reported crime and even personal crime victimization, fear of crime is not measured nationally on an annual and official basis. Consequently, it is not possible to determine, with confidence, during what period fear of crime has been the highest or the lowest, or where in the nation it is increasing or decreasing. Most of the many studies of fear of crime have been small-scale studies in single sites. National polling organizations such as Gallup occasionally measure the level of fear of crime, but not [Page 162]every year, and not in such a way that one could compare, say, New York to Los Angeles.

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