FEAR OF CRIME

Positive Effects
When the fear of crime is proportionate to reality, people are aware of the risks associated with various personal violence offences. This level of fear or concern can encourage good personal safety habits and increased home and property security, thereby minimising the risks of becoming a victim.


Negative Effects
When the fear of crime becomes disproportionate to the reality, the positive effects may swiftly be replaced with a string of devastating effects on a person's lifestyle and quality of life. These effects can include:

Restriction of Lifestyle – fear of crime often causes people to avoid situations and curtail movements, sometimes to the extent that they become reluctant to leave their own home.

Poor Quality of Life – not only as a result of restricting their movements, but many people either avoid previously enjoyed activities in an attempt to ensure personal safety, or undertake the activities without enjoyment due to an overwhelming fear.


Increased Stress and Paranoia - caused by belief in imminent danger to personal safety.

Decreased Confidence – fear of crime often decreases a person’s confidence in their surroundings. This lack of confidence is portrayed in their body language which conveys the appearance of an easy victim to offenders, who target
vulnerability. Not only does the lack of confidence thereby increase the risk of becoming a victim of personal violence, it also reduces a person’s ability to effectively deal with an attack, as they often lack faith in their ability to stop the attack or escape.

Disempowerment – by constantly feeling at risk of personal violence, a disempowering ‘victim mentality’ is often adopted. This may further decrease a
person’s confidence and appearance of vulnerability, increasing their risk of becoming a victim.

Reduced Natural Surveillance – restricted movement in public places increases crime opportunities due to lack of public surveillance.

Increasing Financial Costs - not only can this cost be evidenced by the community generally, but also on an individual basis by those people whose fear of crime leads them to turning their home into a fortress.

Extent of Fear of Crime
Whilst the most consistent finding in literature on the fear of crime is that women are more fearful than men, it remains that the effects of fear of crime are wide reaching and cross both gender and age boundaries (Criminology Research Council, 1998, Fear of Crime Campaign.)In 1998, the Criminology Research Council completed a comprehensive fear of crime survey. Some of the major findings include:

All respondents of the survey (young and old, male and female) saw young people in particular as a source of threat in public places;Young women feared sexual assault and young men saw themselves as potential targets for assaults and robberies by gangs;

Most people have a general fear about ‘unpredictable strangers’ especially in public places a night;

Age is an important indicator of perceived risk and worry about crime.

Middle-aged respondents perceive themselves at most risk of property crime and worry most about it. While young people see themselves as at greater risk of crimes against the person and have a higher level of worry;

and

Older people may feel more vulnerable but they tend not to place themselves
in risky situations.

In 1997, the Roy Morgan Research Centre found that 79% of women surveyed felt unsafe in public places at night, whilst the 1996 Women’s Safety Survey found that 52% of women felt unsafe waiting for public transport alone after dark.

In the recent ‘Women in Brisbane Report’ (1999) compiled by the Brisbane City Council, the most important issue consistently raised by Brisbane women was the concern about personal safety in public places.

Source: Queensland Police website