Fear of Crime in Elderly Women

Abstract

A causal relationship was hypothesized to exist between elderly women's fear of crime and their perceptions of the predictability of events, control over outcomes, and territoriality. Perceived territoriality-the perception of proprietary right to an area and responsibility for what happens there-was hypothesized to be a manifestation of perceived control and perceived predictability. These perceptions and their expression in perceived territoriality were hypothesized to influence elderly women's fear of crime. Data were collected from 81 elderly women living in an urban community. As predicted, elderly women who viewed events as unpredictable expressed lower perceived territoriality and higher fear than those who perceived events as predictable. In addition, women who perceived themselves as having personal control over outcomes appeared to manifest this perception through territoriality. It is this manifestation of perceived control through perceived territoriality that is associated with lower fear in elderly women.