Routine activities and fear of crime: Specifying individual-level mechanisms

Abstract

Studies have examined individual-level associations between fear of crime and various environmental and cognitive assessments but have largely dismissed the relationship between various dimensions of fear and broad behavioural adaptations. Drawing on the risk interpretation model, we specify path models to assess the nature of relationships between perceptions of risk of crime and disorder and the patterning of voluntary and compulsory routine activities. We also explore whether these activities influence the relationship between disorder, risk and fear. Using data from the 2007–8 British Crime Survey, we find support for the proposed distinction between types of routine activities. Although we also find that the various manifestations of fear exhibit different associations with these activities, our models offer marginal support for the proposed mediating role of behavioural policies.