The relationship between children’s fear of crime and pedestrian volume in school zones

Abstract

Focusing on reducing the fear of crime among elementary school students, this study examined the relationship between pedestrian volume and fear of crime in elementary school zones. For this, we i) identified why and where in the school zones students fear crime, by conducting a survey among fifth and sixth grade students of two elementary schools; ii) calculated the volume of pedestrian traffic across the school zones through local integration analysis of axial map, and iii) determined the relationship between fear of crime and pedestrian volume and the difference in patterns of fear of crime perceived by the students depending on the pedestrian volume. The results indicated a higher prevalence of fear of crime in places with low and high pedestrian volumes compared with those with an average volume. Notably, in high pedestrian traffic areas, despite improvement in natural surveillance, the major determinants of high fear of crime were human factors, such as strangers and peers who bully. The findings will help architects, building engineers, and urban planners effectively plan and design schools and public facilities in school zones. Moreover, it will enable policy makers develop effective and accurate guidelines regarding positioning patrol personnel or surveillance.