NCJ Number
177558
Date Published
1998
Length
60 pages
Annotation
This study examines the ways Australians perceive and manage fear of crime, especially as it relates to becoming a victim of crime.
Abstract
The study includes analysis of academic literature on fear of crime and interviews of 148 individuals with a range of backgrounds, in four separate locations. The study attempted to determine who is afraid of crime, what they are afraid of, in what context, how best to measure these fears and what, if anything, is being done to address the fear of crime. Major findings included: (1) Public transport was the greatest source of fear for most people, especially when traveling at night; (2) Young people are actually more fearful of crime and older people less fearful than was previously recognized; (3) Women learn from an early age about the risks of sexual assault and harassment, and are most fearful of those crimes; (4) Parents have stronger fears for their children than for themselves; (5) The media are not necessarily as influential as previously thought; and (6) People develop individual strategies for dealing with fear and risk of victimization. Table, references, appendix