Despite extensive documentation of the gender gap across a range of po litical issues, little is known about gender differences toward issues of crime and punishment. In this study, we systematically examine how, and why, women and men approach the issue of crime. We find that women are more afraid of crime and more supportive of prevention ef forts than men, though fear of crime and women's policy attitudes are not related in a causal sense. These findings are consistent with differences in women's and men's socialization experiences. They have important im plications for both feminist theory and the ability of the political par ties to use the crime issue to their advantage.
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