Night After Night, My Heartbeat Shows the Fear: Examining Predictors of Fear of Crime in the Nonurban Australian Context

Abstract

Research on fear of crime (FOC) is well established in urban contexts. However, few studies explore how common predictors of FOC operate within nonurban environments. This study examines typical predictors of FOC within the nonurban context of Roma, Queensland, and specifically explores mental health as a predictor in this context. Using survey data, key findings indicate that a number of individual and ecological level predictors, such as gender, prior victimization, social cohesion, and social disorder, remain consistent with previous literature on urban contexts. However, these results counter recent findings indicating that gender does not predict FOC in the nonurban context. Interestingly, the results also indicate that mental health is not a predictor of FOC. These findings present implications for fear reduction strategies and future research in nonurban contexts.