NCJ Number
181238
Journal
Western Criminology Review Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: 2000 Pages: 1-26
Date Published
2000
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This article questions the usefulness of fear of crime as a concept, argues for worry about crime as a more reasonable substitute, and presents results of an analysis from a statewide survey conducted in a southwestern State in 1986.
Abstract
Discussions of the meaning of fear of crime and the dimensions represented by fear of crime are common, but actual measurement issues have only recently received attention. This research converted various commonly used measures of fear to measures of worry and compared their dimensions and reliability. Part of the comparison involved the development of a victim-based worry scale. The survey contained two stratified random samples. One consisted of 1,000 individuals age 65 years and over. The second sample consisted of 1,000 people under age 65. Participants received a 24-page survey booklet. Usable responses came from 1,152 individuals. The common measures of fear of crime and worry about crime leave much to be desired. Results suggested that the best approach to measuring fear or worry about crime is a multiple-item scale consisting of items focused directly on crime. However, the term fear of crime remains vague; it may be preferable to substitute the concept of worry. Findings also indicated that the victim-focused worry scale generated the most crime-focused measurement, as well as the highest reliability measures, and may have greater utility for measuring specific concerns about crime than do existing approaches that use fear of crime. Tables, notes, appended instrument, and 86 references (Author abstract modified)