NCJ Number
85506
Date Published
1980
Length
438 pages
Annotation
The means by which urban residents cope with the problems of crime and the fear of crime were studied by means of field observations, an analysis of crime reporting in daily newspapers, and interviews with thousands of citizens in Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.
Abstract
The analysis focused on people's knowledge of crime; their image of victims; and crime prevention measures in the areas of personal security, household protection, community involvement, and flight to the suburbs. Information was gathered during 1977 and 1978. The four factors which correlated significantly with fear of crime were personal experience with crime, vulnerability, vicarious experience, and neighborhood conditions. Crime prevention efforts were adopted most often by upper status persons in neighborhoods with lower crime rates. In addition, although individual decisions to move to the suburbs were not motivated directly by the threat of crime, other research has shown that the conditions in central cities have been made even worse as a result of these moves. Furthermore, household protection seems to be encouraged by home ownership, moderate levels of income, and integration into community life. Thus, the development of neighborhood social networks and the use of a community organization approach to crime prevention should be sought. Efforts to restore the traditional vitality of the central cities and to plan more carefully the distribution of people and jobs in metropolitan areas are also needed. Figures, tables, and 193 references are included.