Abstract
This study provides analyses of data on crime-associated trepidation obtained from surveys administered to college students in South Korea. The survey contained questions about, and the analyses distinguished between, offense-specific fears (fear of burglary and fear of home invasion), perceived risk of victimization (day and night), and crime avoidance behaviors (avoidance of nocturnal activity and avoidance of particular areas). Regression analyses of the data show that victimization was not consistently associated with crime-associated trepidation, while gender significantly impacted all measures of concern about crime. Women were more likely than men to report being fearful, perceiving risk, and crime avoidance behaviors. Building upon prior scholarship (for example, Madriz 1997; Stanko 1989) and considering the social context in which the data were gathered, it is herein suggested that the gendered variation in crime-associated anxiety may reflect patriarchal power relations. The methodological and policy implications of the study are also discussed.
Highlights
The damage which results from fear of crime is not as observable as the damage which results from corporeal crimes such as assault and burglary, trepidation of crime has palpable consequences
Consistent with research conducted in the western hemisphere which documented a bifurcation between fear of crime and perceived risk of victimization, and differences in the variables which affect these forms of crime‐associated trepidation (Kanan and Pruitt 2002; Lane and Meeker 2010; Rountree and Land 1996), the findings that the respondents reported different levels of fear and perceived risk, and that gender and victimization had varying degrees of impact on the different measures, suggests that crime‐associated trepidation in East Asia may function to such trepidation elsewhere in the world
This study contributes to the paucity of research on crime‐associated concerns in East Asia, inclusive of providing analyses of multiple measures of fear of crime, perceived risk of victimization, and avoidance behaviors
Summary
The damage which results from fear of crime is not as observable as the damage which results from corporeal crimes such as assault and burglary, trepidation of crime has palpable consequences. Research suggests people may avoid specific neighborhoods owing to fear of crime and, as a consequence, the quality of life in the area may deteriorate. Business owners may lose clients, lose quality employees, and find it difficult to attract new clients and hire new employees in an area perceived as dangerous. Such businesses may fail or relocate to other areas, which means fewer opportunities and services for residents of neighborhoods perceived to be dangerous. While most studies which suggested fear constricts women’s autonomy were conducted in the western hemisphere, Sur’s (2014: 224) qualitative research conducted in Kolkata, India indicated that fear of crime had an astringent impact ‘on women’s everyday lives as women engage in self‐regulation and self‐policing while negotiating risks of harm in public’
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