NCJ Number
82424
Date Published
1979
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Based on the work of Jacobs, Newman, and Gardiner, among others, this paper investigates fear of crime among urban residents as a consequence of the perceived volume of street use and the degree of residents' social integration into the neighborhood.
Abstract
Data were originally collected as part of a planning and evaluation project conducted in Hartford, Conn. In the spring of 1975, 556 interviews obtained as baseline data from three sampling areas. Respondents had to be at least 18 years-old and a resident at the specified address for at least 6 months. Findings show that the greater the perceived volume of street usage, the greater the fear of criminal victimization; however, the degree of social integration in the local community is more significant in its impact upon fear, with those more integrated being less fearful. Furthermore, the degree of social integration is an important intervening variable that specifies or qualifies the nature of the relationship between perceived street traffic and fear. Three mechanisms by which social integration may reduce fear of people on the streets are (1) reducing the proportion of strangers versus acquaintances on the street, (2) providing networks of potential assistance, and (3) reducing the strangeness of the streets' daily rhythms and routines. Both physical design and social factors thus appear to be interrelated in explaining fear of crime and in designing ameliorative programs. Tabular data, 19 references, and 1 footnote are provided. (Author abstract modified)