The drop in worry about crime and its gender gap: Trends in England and Wales from 1998 to 2019/2020

Abstract

Using data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, this research explores trends in worry about crime and its gender gap between 1998 and 2019/20. Worry about different types of crime follows a downwards trajectory, with worries about car-related crimes showing the strongest decline. Although both men’s and women’s worries decline over time, the gender gap in worry about crime reveals a narrowing trend for crimes that involve physical interaction with the offender (e.g. assault or rape) due to women’s worries decreasing more rapidly than men’s. Potential reasons for the general downwards trend include the steady decline in crime rates, the rise in security standards and a shift in worry from traditional to newer forms of crime (e.g. cybercrime). Rising gender equality and women’s empowerment over the last few decades may explain the narrowing trend in the gender gap in worry about personal crime.