Gendered Responses to Fear?: Students' Use of Precautionary, Defensive, and Avoidance Strategies in Two Campus Contexts

• In Event: Crime on Campus: Threats, Fear, and Responses to Crime in Schools

Abstract

One of the most important predictors of fear of crime is gender, such that women are more fearful of crime than men despite their lower risks for victimization. Given that crime on college and university campuses has become a pressing social problem in the United States over the past two decades, it is important to understand the threats that exist, the sources of students' fears, and exactly how their fears influence their daily routines and behaviors. Utilizing 70 in-depth interviews with undergraduates attending a suburban (N=36) and an urban university (N=34) on the east coast of the U.S., this study examines the role of gender in students' use of precautionary, defensive, and avoidance strategies on campus. Specifically, how does gender influence the behavioral strategies that students use to minimize their fear of crime and perceived likelihood of victimization in these two campus contexts? This research aims to inform policy discussions at institutions of higher education, as administrators and campus police departments attempt to make students feel safer while also ensuring that women and men have equal access to the opportunities that will make their futures successful.

Author

• Shannon K. Jacobsen, Drexel University