Fear of crime in old age: precautious behaviour and its relation to situational fear

Abstract

This study aimed to provide further insight into the question of why older adults show a higher precautionary behaviour regarding crime (behavioural fear), although they do not estimate their victimisation risk as higher than young adults and they do not experience fear more often. In two cross-sectional studies, the hypothesis was tested that the age-related increase in precautionary behaviour is an expression of higher dispositional fear with age. The vignette technique was employed to induce situational fear of crime across various situations as a proxy for dispositional fear. In contrast to the hypothesis, in Study 1 (young: 18-30 years, = 179 vs. middle-aged: 50-64 years, = 106), only younger adults reported higher situational fear in two vignettes. In Study 2 (young: 18-30 years, = 129 vs. young-old: 65-84 years, = 114), younger adults indicated higher situational fear again; however, young-old adults reported higher situational fear in other vignettes. The findings suggest that there is no general increase in the intensity of situational fear of crime with age and thus no age-related change in dispositional fear. Moreover, situational fear did not serve as mediator in the relationship between age and precautionary behaviour. Alternative accounts for the increase in behavioural fear of crime are discussed as well as emotion regulation mechanisms in response to the induction method.

Staying streetwise: Accurate judgments of approaching aggression in older age

“…The inconsistencies in the relationship between age and fear of crime could be due to individual differences. As previous research shows, the idiosyncrasies of respondents, context and crime type all have an effect on fear of crime judgments in older adults ( Acierno et al, 2004 ; Beaulieu et al, 2007 ; Jackson, 2009 ; Kappes et al, 2013 ; Oh & Kim, 2009 ). It is possible that older adults who are reasonably accurate at detecting potential dangers may well be those adults who are less fearful of crime.…”

“…Our current sample is based on specific populations (students and older adults who are comfortable enough to travel to a public talk), moving beyond these populations may find different results. In expanding the population there could be more attention paid to the aforementioned idiosyncratic fear of crime aspects affecting older adults (gender of the respondents and participants’ belief in being able to defend themselves; Acierno et al, 2004 ; Beaulieu et al, 2007 ; Jackson, 2009 ; Kappes et al, 2013 ; Oh & Kim, 2009 ). The study could also be conducted more privately, testing one participants one at a time.…”

“…For some time the consensus in the literature was that older adults were more afraid of becoming a victim of crime than young adults ( Clarke & Lewis, 1982 ; Clemente & Kleiman, 1977 ; Kennedy & Silverman, 1985 ; Moeller, 1989 ; Ortega & Myles, 1987 ). However, more recently research has demonstrated that the relationship between age and fear of crime is not so clear, and the relationship is mediated by many factors; including the crime type, gender of the respondents and participants’ belief in being able to defend themselves (see Acierno, Rheingold, Resnick, & Kilpatrick, 2004 ; Beaulieu, Dubé, Bergeron, & Cousineau, 2007 ; Jackson, 2009 ; Kappes, Greve, & Hellmers, 2013 ; Oh & Kim, 2009 ). Despite the evidence that fear or intimidation is situational, there is little experimental research investigating older adults’ detection of potentially dangerous others.…”

Cognitive closure and risk sensitivity in the fear of crime

“…A good deal of research has explored people's anxieties, worries, and fears about criminal victimization. Generating a rich and interdisciplinary literature (for reviews see Hale, ; Farrall, Jackson, & Gray, ; and Lorenc et al ., ), this work has addressed inter alia personal experience of criminal victimization (e.g., Winkel, ), neighbourhood context, and geography (e.g., Brunton‐Smith & Sturgis, ), individual assessments of neighbourhood disorder, and control (e.g., Perkins & Taylor,), issues of gender and age (Bromley & Stacey, ; Kappes, Greve, & Hellmers, ; Lane & Fox, ), underlying social attitudes and anxieties (e.g., Girling, Loader, & Sparks, ; Wickes, Hipp, Zahnow, & Mazerolle, ), the role of the mass media (e.g., Nellis & Savage, ), and the nature and impact of perceived risk (e.g., Ferraro, ).…”

Cross-cultural nuances of the sources and consequences of subjective feelings of unsafety: A qualitative analysis in four cities

“…Looking at the social component of disorder, the results reveal that contested views over the nature of public space and its legitimate uses generate unease among neighbors who feel that they are forced to avoid behaviors and/or places in order to escape situations that are perceived as threatening (Kappes et al, 2013; Rader et al, 2007). The presence in public spaces of people that are considered hostile, visually unpleasant, outsiders, or disrespectful, erode the community’s capacity to create a meaningful interpretation of social life within the neighborhood but, at the same time, allows the neighbors to operate a sort of “reduction of complexity” (Luhmann, 1995) of the social causes of disorder.…”