Worrying about the future and fear of crime among young adults: a social psychological approach

This article builds on recent insights in the fear of crime research tradition which tackle the poor theoretical substructure of most studies on this topic. Recent advances have acknowledged that both a social psychological approach and the interpretation of fear of crime as a ‘sponge’, absorbing more abstract and fundamental concerns about one's place in society, are essential elements to improve the understanding of this complex and multifaceted phenomenon. In this contribution, these suggestions, expressed in the relationship between more general worries about the personal future and fear of crime, are implemented and tested in a sample of Flemish young adults (N=1121) aged 19 to 24 years. The results demonstrate the potential of combining both perspectives in the study of the determinants of fear of crime in the often neglected social category of young people.