NCJ Number
54445
Date Published
1978
Length
254 pages
Annotation
THIS SURVEY OF 512 RESIDENTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN CHICAGO, ILL., WAS DESIGNED TO STUDY THE OBJECT, CAUSES, AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE FEAR OF CRIME.
Abstract
THIS STUDY SET OUT TO DETERMINE WHETHER FEAR IS A MECHANISM THROUGH WHICH CRIME IS SELF-AMPLIFYING AND WHETHER THE FEAR OF CRIME IS A FACTOR IN SEGREGATING THE POPULATION OF INNER CITIES INTO HIGH AND LOW CRIME AREAS. A SURVEY OF THE LITERATURE WAS CONDUCTED TO DEVELOP CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUNDS FOR THE TOPICS OF SOCIAL ANOMIE, VICTIMIZATION, SOCIAL AWARENESS, SOCIAL SOLIDARITY, AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS, AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF FEAR TO ATTITUDE IS ALSO EXAMINED ALONG WITH SEVERAL HYPOTHESES RELATING TO THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF FEAR OF CRIME. TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES THE SURVEY RESPONSES OF 512 RESIDENTS OF TWO LARGE PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS WERE ANALYZED. THE FEAR OF CRIME WAS MEASURED AS A WEIGHTED INDEX OF 23 RELATED SURVEY ITEMS. ANALYSIS UNCOVERED THREE MEASURES OF FEAR: (1) GENERAL FEAR OF CRIME, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE RESPONDENT FEELS FEARFUL WHILE IN VARIOUS AREAS OF THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT; (2) THE RESPONDENT'S FEAR OF BEING VICTIMIZED OUTSIDE HIS APARTMENT AFTER DARK; AND (3) DANGER, THE RESPONDENT'S APPRAISAL OF THE SAFETY OF HIS DEVELOPMENT COMPARED TO OTHERS. IT WAS FOUND THAT CRIMES IN THE SEVEN UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING CATEGORIES WERE BETTER PREDICTORS OF GENERAL FEAR OF CRIME THAN THE DANGER CATEGORY. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT NUMBER OF CRIMES WAS A BETTER PREDICTOR OF GENERAL FEAR THAN WAS CRIME RATE. THIS FINDING SUGGESTS THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FEAR OF CRIME IS THE SUBJECT'S AWARENESS OF CRIMES OCCURRING IN HIS AREA. THE PREDATORY CHARACTER OF CERTAIN CRIMES, NOTABLY RAPE AND ROBBERY, WAS STRONGLY RELATED TO FEAR. THEFT AND AUTO THEFT WERE MODERATELY RELATED TO FEAR. THE PERCEPTION OF STRANGERS IN THE AREA WAS STRONGLY RELATED TO FEAR AND TO REPORTED CRIMES. THE EFFECTS OF FEAR OF CRIME ARE FEW, BUT HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT. FEAR IS UNRELATED TO INTERPERSONAL TRUST, AFFECT FOR THE COMMUNITY, DISSATISFACTION WITH THE POLICE, AND THE PERCEPTION OF CRIMINALS AS OUTSIDERS, AND DOES NOT WEAKEN THE MECHANISMS OF SOCIAL CONTROL. RATHER, FEAR REDUCES CRIME BY PROMPTING RESIDENTS TO GO OUT LESS IN THE EVENING AND TO AVOID VICTIMIZATION BY RELOCATING. ANTICIPATED FEAR MOTIVATES POTENTIAL RESIDENTS NOT TO MOVE INTO AN AREA. THE RESULT IS THAT THE FEAR OF CRIME CAUSES A DECLINE IN THE RESIDENT POPULATON. TABLES, FIGURES, AND LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED -- MLC)