Gendered Fear of Crime on a College Campus

• In Event: School- and Campus-Based Fear of Victimization

Abstract

Research shows that women are more afraid of crime than are men, but most studies lack a theoretical framework capable of adequately explaining this finding. Furthermore, the types of fear examined in most studies have been limited (i.e., studies have focused only on general fear of crime rather than on crime-specific fears). The current study addresses these concerns by examining the gendered fear of crime socialization process; that is, we examine both what is learned and how it is learned. We also examine both general fear of crime and fear of specific crimes (e.g., burglary, motor vehicle theft, robbery, fraud, assault, rape, stalking). The data for this study comes from a web-based survey of approximately 900 college students, faculty, and staff at a public university in the South. Results show that there are differences between and among women and men in terms of their fear of crime (both general and specific fear), perceived risk, and use of precautionary measures. Furthermore, these differences are due, at least in part, to the gendered nature of how fear is learned.

Authors

• Stacy Haynes, Mississippi State University

• Sarah Rogers, Mississippi State University

• Nicole Rader, Mississippi State University