Fear of Crime Among Black Elderly

2007

Crit Crim

Relative to older women who live alone, there have been few exploratory descriptive studies of personal experiences that might be associated with fear of crime. Little is known about how such women perceive the risk of being intruded upon at home. The purpose of this study was to describe the personal-social context of experiences associated with perceiving the risk of intrusion. Participants were 14 older women who volunteered information about the risk during a longitudinal phenomenological study of the home-care experience. Data indicated that their experience was structured by recognizing a risk of intrusion. The four women who described intrusion events that they had envisioned were the only women who expressed fear about intrusion at home. From a theoretical perspective ''recognizing my risk of intrusion'' and ''envisioning an intrusion event'' are both relevant to perceived risk of victimization, but the latter might be linked more directly to fear of intrusion.

Section: Environment and Fear Of Crimementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Environment and Fear Of Crimementioning

confidence: 99%

“Recognizing my risk” and “Envisioning an intrusion event”: a phenomenological approach to perceived risk of intrusion

2007

Crit Crim

“…First, researchers have opted for crosssectional designs, 27 although cross-sectional studies cannot reveal when and why a precautionary behavior was adopted relative to a victimization event. 29 To better understand sources of fear, researchers should explore situations that trigger worry, 2,12,14 such as encounters with troublesome persons. 28 Second, most scholars have studied fear of hypothetical crimes, asking participants to appraise vulnerability to a crime without describing the hypothetical event in detail.…”

Section: The Research Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…29 The nurse should also inquire about whether there have been prior encounters at home with troublesome people. That is, the nurse could ask whether the older woman knows someone who would not be welcome at her home and explore the reasons for that concern.…”

Section: The Construct Of Precautionary Behaviorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Handling the “People Who Are Trying to Get to You”

Advances in Nursing Science

Lasiter

2007

Older women have been viewed as vulnerable and fearful of crime, but little is known about how they try to reduce the risk of intrusion relative to encounters with troublesome visitors at home. During a phenomenological study of the home care experience, 6 women (aged 82-93 years) reported such an encounter with someone they knew. Our purpose was to describe intentions relative to encounters and the relevant personal-social context. Because the women were trying to keep a particular person at arm's length, the new concept of focused fear was proposed. Six contextual elements were discerned and understood as facets of vulnerability.

“…6(p608) A reduced ability to ward off threats is a feature of vulnerability, 6 and older women are indeed likely to feel more vulnerable than younger women. 8(p452) Some scholars have studied precautions taken by older persons to prevent crimes like intrusion, 9,10 but few have explored how older homebound women would intend to handle such an incident if it occurred. 8(p452) Some scholars have studied precautions taken by older persons to prevent crimes like intrusion, 9,10 but few have explored how older homebound women would intend to handle such an incident if it occurred.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Contemplating What I Would Do If Someone Got in My House

Advances in Nursing Science

2008

There is little research guiding interventions to help old homebound women prepare to manage an intrusion event. During a phenomenological study of the experience of reaching help quickly, I compared intentions during a possible intrusion event for 9 women subscribing to a personal emergency response system and 5 nonsubscribers. The phenomenon of contemplating what I would do if an intruder got in my home had 4 components. Only 2 personal emergency response system subscribers voiced the definitive intention to use the personal emergency response system. Findings underpin a new empirical perspective of competence grounded in situations relevant to living alone at home rather than specific tasks of daily living.