Fear of crime, gender differences in risk perception

Abstract

One of the most consistent findings of the research into the phenomenon of fear of crime is that women express a higher degree of tear in comparison to men. The concept of vulnerability also designates gender as one of the most significant and stable predictors of fear of crime. Taking this as a starting point, a study was conducted in order to examine gender differences in fear of crime and test the theoretical claim that risk perception and the behavioural response to fear of crime are gender-differentiated and related to the level of fear. The analysis was based on the data obtained in the course of the regional research project 'Fear of Crime in Large Cities'. Using a specially designed questionnaire, the method of in-home interview was applied on a multistage random sample of 1959 adult respondents living in urban parts of the cities of former Yugoslav republics (Belgrade, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Skopje). By choosing the appropriate questionnaire items, three scales for the measurement of fear of crime, the perception of victimization risk, and the behavioral response to the possibility of criminal victimization were produced/or the purposes of this paper. The results of the research confirm the existence of statistically significant gender differences in the sense that women show a significantly higher level of fear of crime than men, perceive the risk of victimization to a greater extent, and apply various measures of protection from crime more often. Furthermore, it has been determined that persons who exhibit a higher degree of fear of crime are also more acutely aware that they could become victims of crime and take various security measures more frequently in order to protect themselves from potential victimization.

Polazeći od jednog od najkonzistentnijih nalaza dosadašnjih istraživanja fenomena straha od kriminala da žene iskazuju viši nivo straha u odnosu na muškarce, te koncepcije vulnerabilnosti koja pol označava kao najznačajniji i najstabilniji prediktor straha od kriminala, postavljeno je istraživanje sa ciljem ispitivanja rodnih razlika u strahu od kriminala, ali i provere teorijske tvrdnje da su percepcija rizika i bihevijoralni odgovor na strah od kriminala rodno diferencirani i povezani sa nivoom straha. U analizi su korišćeni podaci prikupljeni u okviru regionalnog istraživačkog projekta ' Strah od kriminala u velikim gradovima. Na višeetapnom slučajnom uzorku od 1959 punoletnih ispitanika koji žive u urbanim delovima gradova bivših jugoslovenskih republika (Beograd, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Sarajevo i Skoplje), primenjena je metoda intervjuisanja u domaćinstvima, uz korišćenje posebno kreiranog anketnog upitnika. Izborom odgovarajućih stavki upitnika sačinjene su, za potrebe ovoga rada, tri skale za merenje straha od kriminala, percepcije rizika viktimizacije i bihejvioralnog odgovora na mogućnost kriminalne viktimizacije. Rezultati istraživanja su potvrdili postojanje statistički značajnih rodnih razlika, u smislu da žene pokazuju značajno viši nivo straha od kriminala nego muškarci, da u većoj meri opažaju rizik viktimizacije i češće primenjuju različite mere zaštite od kriminala. Dodatno, utvrđeno je da osobe koje ispoljavaju viši strah od kriminala u značajno većoj meri percipiraju da mogu postati žrtve kriminala i češće primenjuju različite bezbednosne mere kako bi se zaštitile od potencijalne viktimizacije.