Research Note: The Frequency of the Fear of Crime

• NCJ Number: 204194
• Journal: British Journal of Criminology Volume: 44 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2004 Pages: 127-132
• Author(s): Stephen Farrall; David Gadd
• Date Published: January 2004
• Length: 6 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This study examined both the frequency and the intensity with which people in the United Kingdom fear crime.

Abstract

A large body of research literature has firmly established that a fear of crime is widespread among members of many contemporary westernized societies. Examples of findings from pervious research on levels of fear of crime are offered and show that at least 20 percent of the population in the United Kingdom are “very worried” about crime. Fear of crime surveys in the Untied States, Australia, and European countries revealed similar results. Despite the vast literature that establishes a fear of crime among populations, scare research has focused on the frequency with which people feel fearful and how intensely their fear is felt. In order to assess the intensity and frequency of feelings of fear, an Omnibus survey was administered to 977 respondents in the United Kingdom during autumn 2002. The survey focused on whether the respondent feared becoming a victim of crime during the past year; how frequently they felt fearful of crime during the past year; and how fearful they felt at these times. Results of statistical analyses indicate that when both intensity of fear and frequency of fear were assessed together, only 8 percent of the respondents frequently experienced high levels of fear. Taken alone, the frequency of feelings of fear about crime was quite low; only one-third of the respondents experienced fear of crime during the past year. Moreover, about half of the respondents who had felt fear in the past year had only felt fear between one and four times. In terms of intensity of fear, only 15 percent of the respondents felt a high level of fear. These findings thus indicate that in the United Kingdom, where fear of crime measures have become an indicator of police performance, regular exposure to high levels of fear among the population is uncommon. Tables, references