Elderly Women and Fear of Violent Crime: The Least Likely Victims? A Reconsideration of the Extent and Nature of Risk

• NCJ Number: 158196
• Journal: British Journal of Criminology Volume: 35 Issue: 4 Dated: (Autumn 1995) Pages: 584-598
• Author(s): R H Pain
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: US Department of Justice Statistics, Bureau of Justice Statistics, International Crime Statistics Program.

Annotation

This article uses survey data from a sample of women in Edinburgh, Scotland, to examine the role that gender and various spatial and temporal dimensions of fear play in fear of crime among elderly women.

Abstract

Survey respondents were classified into four groups, based on age (18 to 30 years, 31 to 45 years, 46 to 60 years, and 60 years or older). The results showed that sexual and physical violence and harassment were concerns of most women in the survey, regardless of age. Elderly women were no more fearful of violent crime than younger women, and in the case of street crime, were less fearful. They were also as likely to report have been physically or sexually victimized or abused as younger women. While the data showed that the risks per year lived are lower for elderly than for younger women, they also suggested that the nature of crimes committed against women ensures that it has a lasting effect on personal fears. 6 tables and 47 references