NCJ Number
239371
Journal
Journal of Crime and Justice Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2012 Pages: 13-34
Date Published
March 2012
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This research examines specific crime-fear linkages.
Abstract
In the past four decades, most studies examining fear of crime have focused on the relationship between the overall crime phenomenon and general fear of crime. Wilcox Rountree argued that fear of crime is a multidimensional concept, suggesting that different types of crime/victimization may lead to specific crime-fear linkages. This study tested Wilcox Rountree's thesis by examining the association between actual burglaries reported to the police and residents' fear of burglary. Using data from a random telephone survey of 737 respondents living in Houston, Texas, the findings suggest that burglary incidents surrounding each respondent's residence had a significant impact on their expressed fear of burglary, while the numbers of violent and/or disorder incidents were not correlated with burglary-specific fear. In addition, the results show that fear of burglary was significantly associated with respondents' race (i.e., African-American), home ownership, victimization experience, and satisfaction with police work. (Published Abstract)