Abstract
Considerable differences exist in the size and direction of the relationship between television viewing and fear of crime found by previous studies. This article argues that different types of fear exist and that fear should not be confused with perception of risk. A distinction was introduced between dispositional fear of crime and situational fear of crime. The relationship between television viewing and the two types of fear was examined and a distinction was made between direct, indirect, and mediated experience with crime. Hawkins and Pingree (1990) hypothesized that direct experience would interact negatively with television viewing, whereas cultivation's resonance hypothesis assumed a positive interaction. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 1,394 adults in Flanders, Belgium. Television viewing was positively related to dispositional fear of crime, whereas direct experience with crime was not. Direct experience predicted situational fear of crime, whereas television did not. There were no interaction effects. This study suggests that the relationship between television viewing and fear of crime depends upon the operationalization of the concept of fear of crime. More research is needed to establish which types of fear exist and how they are related to television viewing and direct experience with crime.
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