When Fear Hits Home: Exploring the Relationship Between Domestic Assault and Fear of Crime

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Research on fear of crime has consistently found that gender is one of the most significant predictors of actual fear and perceived risk of victimization. Women, in particular, have a greater fear of physical and sexual victimization which affects how they negotiate their way through public spaces. Yet, research has only marginally investigated how women’s actual or perceived risk of victimization in private spaces, such as the home, influences their overall fear of crime. The current study uses secondary data from the International Crime Victimization Survey (ICVS) to examine the relationship between domestic assault and fear of crime for men and women in thirteen countries representative of North America and Europe. The results indicate that domestic assault and threat of victimization are significantly associated with fear of crime and that this fear is greater for women than for men. These findings also underscore the importance of including domestic assault as a variable in future studies on fear of crime.

Author

• Denise N. Crisafi, University of Central Florida