Crime Causes Crime Model - A Critical Review of the Relationships Between Fear of Crime, Bystander Surveillance, and Changes in the Crime Rate

• NCJ Number: 85261
• Journal: Victimology Volume: 5 Issue: 2-4 Dated: (1980) Pages: 133-151
• Author(s): L Goodstein; R L Shotland
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The model links fear of crime to an increase in the probability of victimization by street crime, reasoning that fear of such crime causes local residents to avoid public streets, resulting in reduced street surveillance and ultimately in an increased chance of victimization.

Abstract

Decreased surveillance may mean fewer potential witnesses, which, in turn, might increase opportunities for certain types of criminal behavior. This process can be triggered either by an actual increase in neighborhood crime or artificially through publicity of particularly fear-inducing crimes by the mass media or informal communication networks. While empirical evidence supports the model's components, the 'crime causes crime' cycle has never been fully investigated. Most studies on the subject rely on methods that do not allow for causal inferences. Further research is needed. About 70 references are included. (Author abstract modified)