Fear of Crime Among Older People - A Reassessment of the Predictive Power of Crime-Related Factors

• NCJ Number: 95346
• Journal: Sociological Quarterly Volume: 25 Issue: 3 Dated: (Summer 1984) Pages: 397-415
• Author(s): T D Miethe; G R Lee
• Date Published: 1984
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: This article is Scientific Paper No. 6821, Agricultural Reseach Center, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.

Annotation

The impact of victimization experiences and crime-related variables on act-specific fear of crime are reinvestigated.

Abstract

Perceived risk and vulnerability to crime were expected to mediate the influence of demographic and crime-related variables on fear. The results of this study suggest that fear of property loss is more explainable by crime-related variables than is fear of violent victimization. Perceptual variables diminish the direct impact of victimization experiences and local crime rate on each type of fear of crime. However, particular demographic and crime-related variables have different effects on fear of property loss and fear of violent crime. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research on the social determinants of fear of crime among the elderly. Tabular data and 25 references are provided. (Author abstract modified)