NCJ Number
102792
Date Published
1986
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Official statistics and surveys of eight Chicago neighborhoods formed the basis of an analysis of the relationship between victimization, fear of crime, other neighborhood characteristics, and protective measures undertaken by residents.
Abstract
The eight neighborhoods included four with crime rates above the city's average and four with rates below the average. In each neighborhood, about 400 telephone interviews gathered data on recent victimizations, fear of crime, and protective measures. Official police data were used to calculate the actual rates of personal victimization and property crime in each respondent's census tract. Fear and victimization experience were closely related at the aggregate level but not at the individual level. Feelings of security related to beliefs about the adequacy of neighborhood resources to fight crime and about the neighborhood's other amenities. Defensive actions did not reduce individual levels of fear. However, defensive actions taken as part of a total community effort can reduce both the crime rate and the level of fear. Theories linking crime, population redistribution, and urban decay need to consider fear of crime as a judgment about the capabilities of government and the social structure to provide safety. Public policies to reduce crime in a community must take into account both the residents' perceptions of the community and whether the sense of community is strong enough to support crime control efforts. Tables, figures, and 17 notes.