Fear of Crime, Perceived Risk, and Confidence About Dangerous Situations Among University Women in the United States and Poland

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to compare United States and Polish university women in regard to demographics, victimization experiences, sensation seeking, fear of dangerous situations, perceived likelihood of victimization, and confidence about managing dangerous situations. A total of 520 women completed the online instruments, which consisted of Perceptions of Dangerous Situations Scale (PDSS), Brief Sensation-Seeking Scale (BSSS), and a demographic questionnaire. Overall, in regard to Fear, Likelihood, and Confidence about dangerous situations, Polish women scored significantly higher in Fear and Likelihood than U. S. women. Differences in Confidence between the two groups were not statistically significant. The two groups differed in the frequency of victimizations in terms of violent crimes, rape, and abusive relationships. The groups also differed in Likelihood scores depending on prior victimization. U. S. women made less of a distinction than Polish women between their emotional (Fear) and their cognitive (Likelihood) appraisals of dangerous situations. Neither group of women scored higher in Fear if they had been previously victimized. The researchers found differences between Polish and U.S. university women in Fear and Likelihood scores, some of which may be related to cultural differences. Sensation seeking did not differ between the two groups. Regardless of country membership, women did not acknowledge rape by a known person to be as likely as rape by a stranger, nor did they acknowledge the greater likelihood of being beaten up by a known person than by a stranger. It is clear that more education is still needed.