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Fear of crime research has primarily focused on fear of crime in general or on fear of specific types of violent crimes. This study builds from this line of research by focusing exclusively on the night fear of six types of property crimes, including fear of burglary while away from home, vehicle theft, bicycle theft, property theft, vandalism, and vehicle burglary. This study examines the effects of victimization, vicarious victimization, and perceived risk on fear of property crime. Survey data from college students reveal that victimization and vicarious victimization were not significant predictors of fear of property crime, whereas perceived risk was a consistent and significant predictor of fear of all property crimes.
Keywords: fear; property crime; victimization; vicarious victimization; perceived risk; college students
Fear of crime emerged as a national issue a half century ago when public concern about crime became part of the political agenda (Beckett, 1997). An extensive amount of literature examines fear of crime and the way in which victimization and perceived victimization risk impact fear of crime. Research on fear of crime indicates that consequences of fear are detrimental and include avoidance and protective behaviors, distrust, decreased social interaction, and possibly self-harm (Clemente & Kleiman, 1977; Ferraro, 1995, 1996; Garofalo, 1981; Hale, 1996; Riger & Gordon, 1981; Warr, 1984). Gauging conclusions from research about determinants of fear of crime, however, has plagued researchers because of methodological inconsistency and measurement issues. For example, early research on fear of crime has been criticized for measuring concepts other than fear, such as cognitive perceptions of victimization risk and concern about quality of life, disorder, or incivilities (Ferraro, 1995; Furstenberg, 1971; Garofalo & Laub, 1978; Kohm, 2009; LaGrange & Ferraro, 1989; McGarrell, Giacomazzi, & Thurman, 1997; Skogan, 1990). Scholars have thus begun to revise measures of fear by distinguishing the emotion of fear from the cognitive perception of victimization risk, recently viewed as a determinant or mediator of fear (Chiricos, Hogan, & Gertz, 1997; Kohm, 2009; Mesch, 2000; Warr & Stafford, 1983; Wilcox Rountree & Land, 1996). Some recent scholarship has further argued that methodological limitations extend beyond the questions asked and to the method in which researchers ask them, and that methods traditionally used (i.e., survey research) can mask important distinctions between...