The Effects of Multilayered Disorder Characteristics on Fear of Crime in Korea.

Su Jin Kang,Wonseok Seo

doi:10.3390/ijerph17249174

Su Jin Kang, Wonseok Seo

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17249174

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Abstract

Fear of crime has a negative impact on the mental health of individuals, limiting their physical and social abilities. Moreover, the prevalence of such fear in the neighborhood weakens the bonds between neighbors and the overall community network, thereby undermining social capital and impeding the city’s sustainability. Disorder is a multilayered process shaped by type and spatial level and has a complex effect on fear of crime. Using a multilevel ordered logistic model, this study determines a more comprehensive cause of fear of crime by verifying the multilayered effects of disorder in Korea. The results include four main findings. First, people are relatively unaware of disorder occurring at the neighborhood level, and more sensitive to disorder at the city level. Second, social disorder has a more significant effect on fear of crime than physical disorder. Third, fear of crime is more affected by indirect factors than by direct factors and actual crimes. Finally, the impact of disorder on fear of crime is discriminatory, depending on the type and spatial structure. This study suggests that urban policy efforts focus more on indirect and macroscopic aspects in dealing with the decline of cities and managing issues related to social disorder.

Highlights

There has been a recent global increase in the incidence of various types of violent crimes, such as shootings and random murders, including in South Korea [1,2]
The National Survey on the People’s Living Safety (NSPLS) examines perception of policing based on three items: (1) the police are doing a good job in patrol activities, (2) the police seem like they would immediately get here if we call them to report a crime, and (3) the police seem like they would catch the criminal if we report a crime
The results indicate that the variance ratio explained by level 2 disorder characteristics was 26.18%, indicating that city level differences must be verified in order to explain the fear of crime

Summary

Introduction

There has been a recent global increase in the incidence of various types of violent crimes, such as shootings and random murders, including in South Korea [1,2]. The public is continuously inundated with detailed reports of such crimes, resulting in growing uneasiness and fear within communities. Violent crimes enrage many people, but they trigger fears that they might become the target. According to the National Survey on the People’s Living Safety (NSPLS) conducted by the Korean Institute of Criminology in 2014, 21.5% of Koreans harbor a fear of crime. The resulting psychological anxiety from such fear negatively impacts people’s lives. According to Stafford et al [3], fear of crime has a negative impact on the mental health of individuals, limiting their physical and social abilities. The prevalence of such fear in the neighborhood weakens the bonds between neighbors and the overall community network, thereby undermining social capital and impeding the city’s sustainability [4,5]

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Discussion

Conclusion