Fear of Crime Among Black Elderly

Abstract

Many studies show that fear of crime among the elderly is a serious problem (Clark, Ekblom, & Mayhew, 1985; Eve & Eve, 1984; Ollenburger, 1981; Ortega& Myles, 1987). Most of the studies also suggest that fear of crime has serious psychological, physical, and financial consequences for the elderly (Garafalo, 1981; Jayewardene, Juliani, & Taibot, 1983; Yin, 1985). Although several studies have focused on the fear of crime among the elderly, few have analyzed fear of crime within the person-environment context. As a consequence, the causes of fear of crime remain unclear. Rather than viewing fear of crime as a consequence of victimization, fear of crime should be viewed within a more general context of person-environment, which reflects the interaction between the person and the environment. Such a context places fear of crime in a broader and more analytic perspective. Moreover, although the Black elderly represent the largest minority group among the aged (U.S. Census Bureau, 1992), information on the fear of crime among elderly Blacks is sparse because the Black elderly are underrepresented in most of the studies on fear of crime. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate the representative nature and relevance of the data collected with regard to Black seniors. The purpose of this study is to examine the nature, extent, and causes of the fear of crime among Black seniors by focusing on the environmental factors, perceptions of vulnerability, vicarious victimization, and personal victimization.