NCJ Number
229829
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 50 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2010 Pages: 1-22
Date Published
January 2010
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses fear and insecurities about crime.
Abstract
Fear of crime is widely seen as an unqualified social ill, yet might some level of emotional response comprise a natural defence against crime? Our methodology differentiates between a dysfunctional worry that erodes quality of life and a functional worry that motivates vigilance and routine precaution. A London-based survey shows that one-quarter of those individuals who said they were worried about crime also viewed their worry as something akin to a problem-solving activity: they took precautions; these precautions that made them feel safer; and neither the precautions nor the worries reduced the quality of their lives. Fear of crime can therefore be helpful as well as harmful: some people are both able and willing to convert their concerns into constructive action. Tables and references (Published Abstract)