NCJ Number
179551
Date Published
1996
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study examined the levels of fear of crime in a survey sample, the types of crimes that elicited the most fear, and factors related to the fear of crime.
Abstract
The study was based on data obtained from the 1995 National Opinion Survey on Crime and Justice. One of the survey sections included seven questions that pertain to respondents' fear of crime. The questions covered a range of personal and property offenses. Overall, the majority of respondents expressed little fear about becoming victims of violent and sexual offenses. Those who did express fear of crime showed more concern about property offenses than violent personal offenses. An analysis of the fear of violent offenses yielded conflicting results. Respondents were more concerned about becoming victims of car-jacking than aggravated assault, robbery, or murder. As car-jacking occurs far less often than other types of violent offenses, the prevalent fear of it may have been related to recent media coverage of such incidents in some major cities. Women were apparently more fearful of sexual assault and other personal offenses than were males, but they were less fearful of property offenses then men. Minorities were more fearful of criminal victimization than were white respondents. Media exposure emerged as a significant factor in shaping citizens' fear of crime. The study did not examine the effect of prior victimization on the fear of crime. 4 tables and 2 notes