Testing Alternative Models of Fear of Crime

Fear of crime is a significant social problem.Recognition of the serious impact that fear may have on individuals and communities has emerged among policymakers, crime prevention practitioners, as well as researchers. 1 As a social problem, several aspects of fear of crime are notable.By the late 1970's, fear of crime was "touching" more households than ever. 2 This increase in fear to some extent paralleled the rise in crime levels during the 1970's.However, the longstanding and deep-seated nature of the fear problem is reflected in the fact that at the national level, although fear goes up as crime goes up, fear does not fall as rapidly when crime declines.