NCJ Number
197769
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 42 Issue: 4 Dated: Autumn 2002 Pages: 798-806
Date Published
2002
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article contains preliminary findings on seasonality and the fear of crime.
Abstract
Previous research has indicated that criminal offending varies with the seasons. Specific fear of crime data normally relate to burglary, assault, vehicle crime, and vandalism. A general conclusion is that assault rates peak in the summer months and property crime rates during the winter ones. This study reports on an age and gender street quota sample of 576 respondents interviewed using standard fear of crime questions. An equal number of interviews were conducted at the end of four consecutive seasons. This study assessed levels of the fear of crime at four equally spaced times of the year, at two locations each in Glasgow and Sheffield. A seasonal effect on the fear of crime cannot lightly be dismissed. There was a seasonal effect on general feelings of unsafety, and on some specific worries about victimization, when the time frame of concern was the prior 3 months. The article suggests implications for national crime surveying and for crime prevention evaluation research. Tables, references