Investigating Fear of Crime

Abstract

This chapter begins by reviewing individual reactions to fear of crime. Researchers frequently note the detrimental physiological and psychological effects of the problem as well as the protective and avoidance behaviours that people adopt in response to their fear of crime. These behavioural responses have a wide-ranging impact at the individual and community levels and these are discussed in the context of hypothesized links between the fear of crime, disorder and crime itself. Two influential theories which attempt to explain these links, namely the broken windows theory and the disorder and decline hypothesis, are discussed in detail. Flow charts are presented for each theory, drawing on the sequence impacts over time outlined in each model. Also discussed are the economic impacts of behavioural responses to fear of crime. The concluding section of the chapter argues that fear of crime gives rise to diverse and challenging problems that cannot be ignored. Given the heavy emphasis of temporal factors and potential impacts in specific areas or neighbourhoods, it is also clear that there are avenues for explicitly spatial research into the hypothesized links between crime, disorder and fear.