Fear of crime and the role of the police

The aim of this study is to broaden the scope of knowledge on fear of crime by examining if Ferraro’s risk interpretation model of fear of crime also holds true for the adolescent population. Using data on approximately 1500 Czech students in middle and grammar school, we test three different models. First, the classic model of fear of crime, applied originally to adults, is estimated. Second, the role of perceived school disorganization is examined, taking into account that adolescents spend a substantial part of the day at school. Finally, we propose an extension of Ferraro’s model by considering parental supervision as a factor influencing adolescent fear of crime through risk perception and avoidance behaviour. The results indicate that Ferraro’s original model of fear of crime can be appropriately applied to both adults and adolescents. Nevertheless, adolescent risk perception, which remains the most influential determinant of individual fear, seems to be influenced by stimuli stemming from the school rather than the neighbourhood environment. Furthermore, the relationship between parental supervision and fear of crime is mediated by avoidance behaviour, while no direct effect of parental supervision on risk perception and fear of crime was found in the data.

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Perceptions of safety among visitors to China: feeling safe in an unfamiliar environment

Safer Communities ◽

10.1108/sc-03-2020-0011 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Yongguang Zou ◽

Rob I. Mawby

Keyword(s):

Fear Of Crime ◽

Local Community ◽

Well Being ◽

Host Community ◽

Content Type ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Tourism Sector ◽

English Speaking ◽

Perceptions Of Safety

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address four questions: Firstly, how do tourists perceive safety from crime, specifically from robbery or violence, alongside other safety concerns? Secondly, are those who are concerned about crime also concerned about other threats to their well-being? Thirdly, how are their perceptions of safety affected by their perceptions of the local community? Finally, how are their perceptions affected by their personal and touristic characteristics? Design/methodology/approach Findings Firstly, tourists did not generally see crime, specifically robbery or violence, as a problem; secondly, there was only a weak relationship between concern about crime and concern about other threats to their well-being; thirdly, in contrast, their perceptions of safety were strongly affected by their perceptions of the local community; and finally, their perceptions were affected by their personal and touristic characteristics, but not necessarily in the ways suggested by earlier research. Research limitations/implications The research sample was small and the questionnaire short. Only English-speaking visitors were included. Practical implications The tourism sector needs to appreciate role of local people in engendering feelings of safety. Social implications The attitude of the local community and their relationship with tourists is fundamental to helping visitors feel safe. Originality/value This is the first criminological paper to compare fear of crime with the other safety issues confronting tourists and to relate these concerns to relationships with host community.

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Corruption and Trust in Police: Investigating the Moderating Effect of Procedural Justice

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology ◽

10.1177/0306624x20928019 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 0306624X2092801

Author(s):

Mahesh K. Nalla ◽

Yongjae Nam

Keyword(s):

Procedural Justice ◽

Fear Of Crime ◽

Moderating Effect ◽

Police Corruption ◽

Police Procedural ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship ◽

Police Effectiveness ◽

Trust In Police

This article examines the role of citizens’ contact with police and their assessments of officers’ corruption in police in India. More importantly, we examine whether police procedural justice moderates the relationship between citizens’ assessments of police corruption and trust. Data ( N = 845) from Delhi, India, suggest that consistent with the literature, citizens’ trust in police is explained by their contact with police, fear of crime, police effectiveness, and corruption in police work. However, two significant findings emerged from this analysis. First, though citizens’ perception of police corruption is a significant explanatory variable of trust in police, procedural justice moderates the strength of the relationship of corruption on trust. Second, the nature of contact experience reveals essential differences in the moderating effect of procedural justice on the relationship between corruption and trust in police. Finally, irrespective of the nature of contact experience, police effectiveness, and trust in police is related.

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‘Fear’ of Crime: Role of Defensive Personality Factors for Concern About Crime

10.31234/osf.io/zcjnk ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Liam Satchell ◽

Oliver Waddup ◽

Alison Bacon ◽

Philip Corr

Keyword(s):

High Intensity ◽

Fear Of Crime ◽

Personality Factors ◽

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory ◽

The Past ◽

Personality Research ◽

Sensitivity Theory ◽

Reinforcement Sensitivity ◽

The Relationship

Research into ‘fear of crime’ often interchangeably uses the terms ‘anxiety’, ‘fear’ and ‘worry’. However, neuropsychological and personality research makes a crucial distinction between fear, anxiety and worry. Theoretically, it is likely that anxiety (rumination on the past and worry about the future) rather than fear (i.e., immediate reaction to high intensity threat) is a better predictor of ‘fear’ of crime. We studied the relationship between anxiety, fear and anger (using measures from Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory) and concerns about becoming a victim of crime. We also investigated the relationship between responses to hypothetical threat scenarios and general concerns about crime. In our sample (N = 250), we found, contrary to our predictions, that personality traits related to general fearfulness were predictive of concerns about crime – more so than traits related to anxiety or anger. Responses to hypothetical threat scenarios were predictive of concerns about crime, but less so than trait fear. Overall, our results suggest that it may, after all, be correct to suggest that concerns about becoming a victim of crime are more to do with being afraid than anxious or angry and we discuss the theoretical implications of this effect.

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Disrupting Personal (In)Security? The Role of Ride-Hailing Service Features, Commute Strategies, and Gender in Mexico City

10.18235/0003812 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lynn Scholl ◽

Daniel Oviedo ◽

Orlando Sabogal-Cardona

Keyword(s):

Mexico City ◽

Fear Of Crime ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Public Transit ◽

Transportation Network ◽

Logit Models ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

And Gender

This paper sheds light on the personal security dimension of ride-hailing from a gender perspective. We explore how features of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) services affect riders perceptions of security when commuting in ride-hailing services, and how general perceptions of fear of crime shape the way people value such features. Moreover, we analyze the strategies women and men are using to enhance their own security in ride-hailing and factors influencing these strategies. We conducted a survey of users of the TNC DiDi in Mexico City. The statistical methods used are structural equation models SEM and ordered logit models OLOGIT. Results show that women are more likely to value the information made available by ride-hailing applications (e.g., knowing your location or knowing driver information) and the presence of a panic button. The value given to information also increases if a person feels insecure in the streets, in a public transit station or in public transit. People who perceive higher insecurity in the streets have increased positive perceptions of the possibility of travelling without transfers. We also find that women are 64.4% less likely to share ride-hailing trips (pooling) and 2.14 times more likely to share details of their trips through their cellphones.

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Women’s Fear of Crime: The Role of Fear for the Well-Being of Significant Others

Violence and Victims ◽

10.1891/0886-6708.15.3.323 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 323-336 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Gustavo S. Mesch

Keyword(s):

Sexual Assault ◽

Gender Roles ◽

Fear Of Crime ◽

Well Being ◽

Intimate Violence ◽

Main Argument ◽

Future Directions ◽

Traditional Family ◽

The Third

A number of explanations have been suggested in the literature for the finding that women consistently report higher levels of fear of crime than males. The “shadow” hypothesis argues that fear of crime among females reflects fear of sexual assault. The “intimate” hypothesis argues that women’s fear of crime is the result of exposure to intimate violence. Females’ fear of crime is expected to be explained by their fear of partners’ violence. The main argument of this article is that women’s fear of crime might be the result of traditional family gender roles. When asked, women might express fear not only for their own well-being but for that of their children. A survey of a representative sample of women in the third largest city of Israel was used to test this assumption. Women’s fear of crime was found to be affected by fear of sexual assault and fear of violent partners. In addition, consistent with the argument of this study, women’s fear of violent and sexual victimization of their children had a significant effect on their perception of fear. Future directions for research are suggested.

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