Measuring fear of crime during the past 25 years: A systematic quantitative literature review

Abstract

The current study analyzes a sample of academic articles examining “fear of crime” and that were published in peer-reviewed journals during the past 25 years (n = 547). Using a systematic quantitative literature review method, results show that the fear of crime scholarship—and citations to it—increased significantly during this time, although most studies were undertaken in a handful of countries. Survey research remains the dominant data collection method that researchers use to study fear of crime, but more than 8-in-10 articles reviewed rely on multiple indicators to measure this complex construct. Additionally, most papers analyzed in the current study use measures that tap into the personal emotion dimension of fear but only 60% report information about the validity and/or reliability of these indicators. Recommendations for future quantitative research into fear of crime, based on current findings, are offered.