NCJ Number
89206
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 61 Issue: 4 Dated: (June 1983) Pages: 1033-1043
Date Published
1983
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Data from a 1981 survey of Seattle residents indicate that, among types of offenses, fear of victimization is a multiplicative function of perceived risk and perceived seriousness, both factors that carry virtually identical weight (i.e., they may precisely offset each other), and that fear is not necessarily highest for violent crimes.
Abstract
Because fear is not solely determined by the perceived seriousness of offenses, prospects for reducing fear are not entirely bleak. While reducing the perceived risk of victimization entails serious practical and ethical issues, it appears to be an effective means of reducing fear. Further research is needed. Notes, 15 references, a table, and a graph are supplied.