FEAR OF CRIME IN THE SCHOOL ENTERPRISE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES (FROM CONFLICTS AND TENSIONS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 1977 BY ELEANOR P WOLF)

• NCJ Number: 45683
• Author(s): M LALLI; SAVITZ
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 16 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: SAGE CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL ISSUES, V 38 THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED AS A SPECIAL ISSUE OF EDUCATION AND URBAN SOCIETY, V 8, N 4 (AUGUST 1976)

Annotation

FEAR OF CRIME, PARTICULARLY OF VICTIMIZATION ON SCHOOL PREMISES, AMONG BLACK MALE JUVENILES AND THEIR MOTHERS IS EXPLORED, WITH REFERENCE TO DATA FROM A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF 532 FAMILIES IN PHILADELPHIA, PA.

Abstract

THE 1971 SURVEY REVEALED THAT, ALTHOUGH A MINORITY OF ALL HOUSEHOLDS (43 PERCENT) AND OF ALL JUVENILES (46 PERCENT) REPORTED HAVING BEEN VICTIMIZED IN THE YEAR PRIOR TO THE SURVEY, FEAR OF FUTURE VICTIMIZATION WAS UNIFORMLY HIGH. JUVENILES EXPRESSED PARTICULAR CONCERN ABOUT BEING VICTIMIZED BY OTHER JUVENILES. A LARGE PROPORTION OF ALL JUVENILES RATED EACH OF 13 SETTINGS (STREETS, SCHOOLS, PARKS, MOVIE HOUSES, SUBWAYS, ETC.) AS DANGEROUS. SCHOOL ROOMS (22 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS), SCHOOL YARDS (47 PERCENT), AND SCHOOL HALLWAYS (28 PERCENT) WERE AMONG SETTINGS RATED AS DANGEROUS BY JUVENILES. MOST MOTHERS EXPRESSED FEAR THAT THEIR CHILDREN WOULD BE CRIMINALLY INJURED OR ROBBED WHILE AT SCHOOL. THIRTY-NINE PERCENT OF ALL ADULTS SAID THAT THEY HAD TRIED TO TRANSFER THEIR CHILDREN TO SAFER SCHOOLS, WHILE 42 PERCENT OF THE JUVENILES SAID THEY WANTED TO BE BUSED TO SCHOOL FOR SAFETY REASONS. THE IMPLICATIONS OF ALTERNATIVE RESPONSES TO FEAR OF THE SCHOOL INVIRONMENT -- MOVING TO A SAFER AREA WITH SAFER SCHOOLS, GANG MEMBERSHIP, TRUANCY -- ARE CONSIDERED. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)