NCJ Number
25813
Date Published
1972
Length
9 pages
Annotation
A 1969 SURVEY OF PUBLIC REACTION TO CRIME IN BALTIMORE WHICH CONCLUDED THAT THOSE LEAST IN DANGER OF CRIME ARE MOST AFRAID IS REANALYZED, WITH RESULTS SHOWING THAT PEOPLE, IN FACT, ACCURATELY ASSESS THEIR CRIME DANGER.
Abstract
IT IS STATED THAT THE BALTIMORE SURVEY USED FEAR OF CRIME AND CONCERN ABOUT CRIME INTERCHANGEABLY, WHEN THESE TWO CONCEPTS ARE NOT AT ALL EQUIVALENT. THE AUTHOR CONTENDS THAT FEAR OF CRIME SHOULD BE MEASURED BY A PERSON'S PERCEPTION OF HIS OWN CHANCES OF VICTIMIZATION, AND CONCERN BY HIS ESTIMATE OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRIME SITUATION IN THIS COUNTRY. THE DATA ARE REEVALUATED, DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN RESPONSES WHICH MEASURED CONCERN AND THOSE WHICH MEASURED FEAR. UNLIKE THE EARLIER SURVEY, THE AUTHOR FOUND THAT THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF CRIME WERE NO MORE OR LESS AFRAID OF VICTIMIZATION THAN ANYONE ELSE. HOWEVER, AS RISK OF VICTIMIZATION DECREASES, CONCERN ABOUT CRIME GOES UP. CONCERN ABOUT CRIME WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE, AT LEAST IN PART, AN EXPRESSION OF RESENTMENT OF CHANGING SOCIAL CONDITIONS. THE ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT FEAR OF CRIME WAS FAIRLY HOMOGENEOUS WITHIN NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THAT THOSE LIVING IN HIGH CRIME AREAS WERE FEARFUL OF CRIME. WHEN PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME WERE RELATED TO POLICE STATISTICS, RESULTS SHOWED THAT THOSE IN HIGH CRIME AREAS THOUGHT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS DANGEROUS, WHILE THOSE IN LOW CRIME AREAS SAW THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AS GENERALLY SECURE.