Rapid Growth and Fear of Crime: A Four-Community Comparison

• NCJ Number: 111330
• Journal: Rural Sociology Volume: 50 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer 1985) Pages: 193-208
• Author(s): R S Krannich; T Greider; R L Little
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Revision of paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Western Social Science Association, San Diego, April 1984.

Annotation

The topic addressed here is fear of crime in western communities experiencing rapid growth as a result of energy resource development.

Abstract

Although fear of crime research has generally reported relatively low fear of crime levels in rural communities, the altered social environment of a community undergoing rapid growth may result in a substantially heightened level of fear. Survey data were collected from adult members of random samples of households in four small rural area communities in the intermountain West that have exhibited highly divergent population growth patterns. Data analysis indicates that residents of energy 'boom' towns do not report criminal victimization experiences that differ from those reported in 'nonboom' communities. They do exhibit, however, significantly higher fear of crime. The results are discussed as a reflection of a unique social reality that emerges in rapid growth communities. (Author abstract)