A Multilevel Analysis of the Vulnerability, Disorder, and Social Integration Models of Fear of Crime

Abstract

The current research tests three conceptual models designed to explain citizens' fear of crime-vulnerability, disorder, and social integration. These models are assessed for differential impact across the cognitive and affective dimensions of fear of crime. The analysis reported here considers the consecutive and simultaneous influence of individual-and city-level factors using multilevel modeling techniques. Recently collected survey data for 2,599 citizens nested within 21 cities across Washington State provide the empirical evidence for the analysis. Results indicate that the disorder model is best able to explain variation in both the cognitive and affective dimensions of citizens' fear of crime across cities. The vulnerability and social integration models explain significantly less variation. Further, the vulnerability model lacks directional consistency across the observed dimensions of fear. Societal implications of the research findings are discussed.Keywords Fear of crime Á Victimization Á Multilevel analysis Á Vulnerability Á Disorder Á Social integration Fear of crime has been recognized as a significant social problem, affecting the quality of life across various demographic and socio-economic conditions. Attempts to understand the dynamics underlying the fear of crime have led to numerous empirical and theoretical developments. Three dominant models have emerged as possible explanations of variation in fear of crime among citizens-the vulnerability, disorder, and social integration models. While each of these models has received some

Predicting Perceived Risk of Crime: a Multilevel Study

“…For the ecological predictors, our results were partially consistent with those in the literature (Franklin et al 2008;Skogan 1995;Taylor and Covington 1993). Indeed, we showed perceived risk at the local level to be increased by the crime rate and by unemployment rate.…”

Fear of Crime Revisited: Examining the Direct and Indirect Effects of Disorder, Risk Perception, and Social Capital

“…McGarrell et al (1997) found that perceived disorder is a powerful predictor of fear on both an individual and a neighborhood level; and in Great Britain, Hope and Hough (1988) reported a strong relationship between disorder and fear, even after controlling for other aspects of community life. Franklin et al (2008) conducted a multilevel study of fear of crime in 21 cities in Washington and found that disorder explained the most variation in fear (Franklin et al 2008). The nature of the relationship between disorder and fear may vary depending on whether the level of analysis is conducted at the individual-or neighborhood-level (McGarrell et al 1997;Wyant 2008).…”

The Danger in Sexism: The Links Among Fear of Crime, Benevolent Sexism, and Well-being

“…In addition, survey research has documented racial differences in levels of fear of crime, with Blacks and other racial and ethnic minorities indicating greater fear than Whites (e.g., Baumer 1978;Covington and Taylor 1991;Pantazis 2000;Thompson et al 1992; but see also Ortega and Myles 1987). Scholars have suggested several possible reasons for why women and minorities demonstrate greater levels of fear of crime (for a review see Franklin et al 2008). For example, the vulnerability model suggests that women, the elderly, racial minorities and those living in poverty feel more vulnerable to crime because they perceive themselves as either less physically or financially capable of protecting themselves and their possessions than dominant groups (see Hale 1996 for a review).…”