Crime prevention and reduction programs: How does knowing about community initiatives moderate attitudes towards criminal victimisation?

Abstract

The current study examines the association between fear of crime and awareness of community programs designed to prevent or reduce crime and social disorder. Data were collected from a community survey of household residents living on the Gold Coast of Australia (N ¼ 713). Results indicate that those reportedly aware of community initiatives, fear property crime and crimes against persons differently than those reportedly unaware of them. For fear of personal victimisation, awareness of crime prevention programs within an area weakened relationships between (a) perceptions of incivility and social cohesion; (b) perceptions of the consequences of victimisation and likelihood of victimisation; and (c) perceptions of the likelihood of victimisation and worry about personal crime. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications on future research, and strategies for developing crime prevention and fear reduction programs that maximise the positive effects on attitudes towards crime, while minimising their unintended consequences, are also offered.

Fear of crime examined through diversity of crime, social inequalities, and social capital: An empirical evaluation in Peru

“…Previous literature, which did not include these three types of victimization, presents mixed results. Some studies found that violent victimization is not significantly associated with FOC (H. Lee et al., 2020), while others stated that FOC is more likely to appear when individuals are asked to reflect on crimes against persons (Chataway & Hart, 2017). In addition, a recent study found that direct and indirect victimizations affect FOC (Hernández, 2017), while H. Lee et al.…”

“…First, do all types of crime victimization (violent, body-aimed, and indirect) affect FOC equally? Although there is plenty of evidence that victims of crime tend to have higher levels of FOC (Farrall et al., 2007; Wilcox & Land, 1996), there are only a few (Chataway & Hart, 2017). More specifically, do violent victimization (committed with arms), body-aimed victimization (physical or sexual abuse from a member of their household, and sexual offenses), and indirect victimization (crimes suffered by others at home) influence FOC in a different way?…”

“…For instance, mothers’ perceptions about their own safety are closely linked to the perception of their children’s risk. Chataway and Hart (2017) used path analysis and found that FOC is more present when respondents are asked to reflect on crimes committed against persons, but this pattern is the opposite when they consider property crimes.…”