A Theoretical Approach to Fear of Crime

Abstract

Fear of crime studies increased in the 1960s. It has become an important subject studied in disciplines such as criminology, sociology, and psychology. One of the best ways to understand and solve the high crime rates in a society is the fear of crime. Fear of crime is studied to understand what types of crime the individual fears and for what reason. Hence, it is an important method that can be used to identify the problem. In this study, it has been tried to make a theoretical analysis of fear of crime. With the theoretical study, a definition of fear of crime has been made from different perspectives. In addition, important studies in the literature were analyzed and common findings were brought together. In this way, it was desired to take a picture of the effects of various demographic characteristics such as gender, age, education level and income level on individuals' fear of crime scores. In addition, an analysis was made about what can happen in individuals and societies with high fear of crime scores. It has been tried to show the cyclical process of how individuals and societies create environments that can lead to new crime while protecting themselves from being victimized.