Previous research has established that fear of crime victimization is a result of many factors including age, gender, race, income, neighbourhood variables, prior victimization and so on. The present research was conducted to test the following hypotheses: (1) fear of crime victimization is dependent on the country in which one lives; (2) socio-demographic characteristics affect fear of crime victimization; (3) economic status affects fear of crime victimization; and (4) prior experience of victimization affects fear of crime victimization. Using a structured questionnaire, constructed for the purpose, data were collected from a sample of 725 students from the city of Chennai (India) and 715 students from Mito City in Japan. The results of the study revealed that there was a difference in the level of fear of crime victimization between the respondents from India and Japan. Fear of crime victimization was influenced by some factors such as gender, age and the place of residence of respondents. In contrast to many previous studies relating to influence of prior victimization, it is puzzling to note that prior experience of crime victimization did not influence positively fear of crime victimization.
ArthurJ. (1992). Criminal Victimization, Fear of Crime, and Handgun Ownership Among Blacks: Evidence from National Crime Victimization Survey Data. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 16(2), 121–141.
2.
BakerM.H.NienstedtB.C.EverettR.S.McCleryR. (1983). The Impact of Crime Waves: Perceptions, Fear and Confidence in the Police. Law and Society Review, 17, 319–335.
3.
BarbaretR.FisherB.S.TaylorH. (2004). University Student Safety in the East Midlands. Home Office Online Report 61/04.
4.
BaumerT. (1978). Research on Fear of Crime in the United States. Victimology: An International Journal, 3, 254–264.
5.
BidermanA.D.JohnsonL.A.MclntyreJ.WeirA.W. (1967). Report on Victimization and Attitudes Toward Law Enforcement. President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice. U.S. Government Printing Office; Washington, D.C.
6.
BoggsS.L. (1971). Formal and Informal Crime Control: An Explanatory Study of Urban, Suburban and Rural Orientations. Sociological Quarterly, 12, 319–327.
7.
BraungartM.M.BraungartR.G.HoyerW.J. (1980). Age, Sex and Social Factors in Fear of Crime. Sociological Focus, 13, 55–66.
dementeF.KlienmanM. (1977). Fear of Crime in the United States: A Multivariate Analysis. Social Forces, 56, 519–531.
10.
ConklinJ. (1975). The Impact of Crime. Macmillan: New York.
11.
DittonJ.ChadeeD.KhanF. (2003). The Stability of Global and Specific Measures of the Fear of Crime: Results from a Two Wave Trinidadian Longitudinal Study. International Review of Victimology, 10, 49–70
12.
EnnisP.H. (1967). Criminal Victimization in the United States: A Report of a National Survey. President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice. Field Survey II. U.S. Government Printing Office; Washington, D.C.
13.
EveS.B. (1985). Criminal Victimization and Fear of Crime among the Non-institutionalized Elderly in the United States: A Critique of the Empirical Research Literature. Victimology: An International journal10, 397–408.
14.
EveR.A.EveS.B. (1984). The Effects of Powerlessness, Fear of Social Change, and Social Integration on Fear of Crime among the Elderly. Victimology: An International journal, 9, 290–295.
15.
FarrallS.BannisterJ.DittonJ.GilchristE. (2000). Social Psychology and the Fear of Crime: Re-examining a Speculative Model. British Journal of Criminology, 40, 399–413.
16.
FerraroK.F. (1995). Fear of Crime: Interpreting Victimization Risk. State University of New York Press; New York.
17.
FerraroK.F. (1996). Women's Fear of Victimization: Shadow among Korean Americans in Chicago Community. Criminology, 38 (4), 1173–1206.
18.
FerraroK.F.LaGrangeR.L. (1987). The Measurement of Fear of Crime. Sociological Inquiry, 57, 632–646.
19.
FerraroK.F.LaGrangeR.L. (1992). Are Older People Most Afraid of Crime? Reconsidering Age Differences in Fear of Crime Victimization. Journal of Gerontology, 47, 233–244.
20.
FisherS.B.CullenF.T.TurnerM.G. (2000). The Sexual Victimization of College Women. U.S. Department of Justice NCJ 182369; Washington D.C.
21.
FisherS.B.SloanJ.J. (2003). Unraveling the Fear of Victimization among College Women: Is the ‘Shadow of Sexual Assault Hypothesis’ Supported?Justice Quarterly, 20 (3), 633–659.
22.
FisherB.S.SloanJ.J.CullenF.T.LuC. (1998). Crime in Ivory Tower: the Level and Sources of Student Victimization. Criminology, 36 (3), 671–710.
23.
FisherS.B.WilkesA.R.P. (2003). A Tale of Two Ivory Towers: A Comparative Analysis of Victimization Rates and Risks between University Students in the United States and England. British Journal of Criminology, 43, 526–545.
24.
GarofaloJ. (1977a). Public Opinion about Crime: The Attitudes of Victims in Selected Cities. NCJRS; Washington, D.C.
25.
GarofaloJ. (1977b). Public Opinion about Crime: The Attitudes of Victims and Non-victims in Selected Cities. Analytic Report SD-VAD-1. Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, National Criminal Justice Information and Statistics Service. U.S. Government Printing Office; Washington, D.C.
26.
GarofaloJ. (1977c). Fear of Crime in Large American Cities — Analytic Report. Criminal Justice Centre; Albany, New York.
27.
GordonM.T.RigerS. (1979). Fear and Avoidance: A Link between Attitudes and Behaviour. Victimology: An International Journal, 4, 395–402.
28.
GordonM.T.RigerS. (1989). The Female Fear. Free Press; New York.
29.
GordonM.LeBaillyR.HeathL. (1979). Crime, Women and the Quality of Urban Life. Center for Urban Affairs, Northern University; Evanston, Illinois.
30.
HaleC. (1996). Fear of Crime: A Review of Literature. International Review of Victimology, 4, 79–150.
31.
HartT.C. (2003). Violent Victimization of College Students. U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics; Washington, D.C.
32.
HindelangM.S.GottfredsonM.R.GarofaloJ. (1978). Victims of Personal Crime. Ballinger; Cambridge, Mass.
33.
HoughM. (1995). Anxiety about Crime: Findings from the 1994 British Crime Survey, Research Study 147. Home Office Research and Statistics Department; London.
JacksonJ. (2004). Experience and Expression: Social and Cultural Significance in the Fear of Crime. British Journal of Criminology, 44, 946–966.
36.
JohnsonH. (2005). Crime Victimization in Australia: Key Results of the 2004 International Crime Victimization Survey. Australian Institute of Criminology, 64. Retrieved February 19, 2007 from
http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rpp
.
37.
KershawC.TseloniA. (2005). Predicting Crime Rates, Fear and Disorder Based on Area Information: Evidence from the 2000 British Crime Survey. International Review of Victimology, 12, 293–311.
38.
KilliasM. (1990). Vulnerability: Towards a Better Understanding of a Key-variable in the Genesis of Fear of Crime. Violence and Victims, 5, 97–108.
39.
KuryH.FerdinandT. (1998). The Victim's Experience and Fear of Crime. International Review of Victimology, 5, 93–140.
40.
LaGrangeR.L.FerraroK.SupanicM. (1992). Perceived Risk and Fear of Crime: Role of Social and Physical Incivilities. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 29, 311–334.
41.
LawtonM.P.NahemowL.YafeeS.FeldmanS. (1976). Psychological Aspects of Crime and Fear of Crime. In Crime and the Elderly (GoldsmithJ.GoldsmithS., eds) pp. 21–29. Lexington Books; Lexington MA.
42.
LeeM. (2007). Inventing Fear of Crime Criminology and the Politics of Anxiety. Willan; Cullompton.
43.
LeeM.EarnestT. (2003). Perceived Community Cohesion and Perceived Risk of Victimization: A Cross-national Analysis. Justice Quarterly, 20, 131–157.
44.
LeeS.M.UlmerT.J. (2000). Fear of Crime among Korean Americans in Chicago Community. Criminology, 38 (4), 1173–1206.
45.
MawbyR.I. (2004). Crime and Disorder: Perceptions of Business People in Cornwall, England. International Review of Victimology, 11, 313–332.
46.
MeschG.S.FishmanG. (1998). Fear of Crime and Individual Crime Protective Actions in Israel. International Review of Victimology, 5, 311–330.
47.
PainR. (1997). Whether Women's Fear? Perceptions of Sexual Violence in Public and Private Space. International Review of Victimology, 4, 297–312.
48.
ParkerD.K. (1988). Black-white Differences in Perceptions of Fear of Crime. Journal of Social Psychology, 128, 487–494.
49.
ParkerD.K.RayC.M. (1990). Fear of Crime: an Assessment of Related Factors. Sociological Spectrum, 10, 29–40.
50.
PerkinsD.D.MeeksJ.W.TaylorR.B. (1992). The Physical Environment of Street Blocks and Resident Perceptions of Crime and Disorder: Implications for Theory and Measurement. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 12, 21–34.
51.
ReissA.J.Jr. (1967). Public Perceptions and Recollections about Crime, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice. In Studies on Crime and Law Enforcement in Major Metropolitan Areas (ReissA.J., Jr. ed.) Volume I. Section LL. President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice. U.S. Government Printing Office; Washington, D.C.
52.
RigerS.GordonM.BaileyR. (1978). Women's Fear of Crime: From Blaming to Restricting the Victim. Victimology: An International journal, 3, 274–284.
53.
RoheM.W.BurbyJ.R. (1988). Fear of Crime in Public Housing. Environment and Behaviour, 20, 700–720.
54.
RountreeP.W. (1998). A Re-examination of the Crime-Fear Linkage. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 35 (3), 341–372.
55.
RountreeP.W.LandK.C. (1996). Burglary Victimization, Perceptions of Crime Risk, and Routine Activities: a Multilevel Analysis of across Seattle Neighbourhoods and Census Tracks. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 33, (2), 147–180.
56.
SingerS.I. (1977). The Concept of Vulnerability and the Elderly Victim in an Urban Environment. In Criminal Justice Planning (ScottE.DinitzS., eds) pp. 75–80. Praeger; New York.
57.
SmithL.N.HillG.D. (1991). Victimization and Fear of Crime. Criminal Justice and Behaviour, 18, 217–239.
58.
SmithS.J. (1989). Social Relations, Neighbourhood Structure and Fear of Crime in Britain. In The Geography of Crime (EvansD.J.HerbertD.T., eds) pp. 193–227. Routledge; London.
59.
StaffordM.C.GalleO.R. (1984). Victimization Rates, Exposure to Risk, and Fear of Crime. Criminology, 22, 173–185.
60.
StinchombeA.L.HeimerC.ScheppleK.SmithT.W.TaylorD.G. (1977). Trends in Public Opinion about Crime and Punishment. Crime and Punishment Public Opinion: 1948–1974. National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago; Chicago.
61.
TaylorR.B.HaleM. (1986). Testing Alternative Models of Fear of Crime. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 11, 151–189.
62.
TrumanJ. (2005). Predictors of Fear of Crime and the Relationship of Crime Rates and Fear of Crime. Undergraduate Research Journal, 1, 28–37.
63.
U.S. Department of Justice (1975). Criminal Victimization Surveys in 13 American Cities. U.S. Government Printing Office; Washington, D.C.
64.
U.S. Department of Justice (1977). Criminal Victimization in the U.S. A Comparison of 1974 and 1975 Findings. U.S. Government Printing Office; Washington, D.C.
65.
Van Der WurffA.Van StaalduinenL.StringerP. (1989). Fear of Crime in Residential Environments: Testing a Social Psychological Model. Journal of Social Psychology, 129 (2), 141–160.
66.
WarrM. (1984). Fear of Victimization: Why are Women and the Elderly more Fearful?Social Science Quarterly, 65, 681–702.
67.
WarrM. (1990). Dangerous Situations: Social Context and Fear of Victimization. Social Forces, 68, 891–907.
68.
WarrM. (2000). Fear of Crime in the United States: Avenues for Research and Policy. In Criminal Justice 2000. Volume 4, Measurement and Analysis of Crime and Justice (DuffeeD., ed.) pp. 451–489. National Institute of Justice; Bethesda, MD.
69.
WeissK.BorgesS.S. (1975). Victimology and Rape: The Case of the Legitimate Victim. In Victims and Society (VianoE., ed.). Criminology, 8, 71–115; 230–254.
