NCJ Number
157167
Journal
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Volume: 539 Dated: (May 1995) Pages: 46-58
Date Published
1995
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article explores women's fear of crime and examines how it has become the focus of social policy and action on the part of feminist groups, government at all levels, universities, and police departments.
Abstract
The author treats women's fear of crime as located within gender-structured societies and as indicative of women's anxiety about their vulnerability to men's violence. Most contemporary discussions of fear are based on the assumption that violence is random and committed by strangers; traditional crime prevention campaigns may actually fuel women's fear by placing the responsibility for avoiding victimization on the shoulders of individual women. Many of these programs ignore the potential of violence from male acquaintances and relatives, both inside and outside of the home. Feminist-inspired crime control campaigns, on the other hand, place the responsibility for male violence on men, as well as on society as a whole to ease the burden of women's experiences and fear of violence. The author suggests an approach toward confronting women's fear of crime that would encompass good lighting, good transport, adequate child care, decent education, safe houses, and safe relationships. 37 notes