In this article, Cook and Fox example the effects associated with victimization, vicarious victimization, as well as, perceived risk as they relate to the fear that people develop with regard to property crime. The researchers point to the fact that a majority of studies that have been undertaken with regard to fear of crime have focused more on the fear or crime in general without having to provide readers with a basic understanding of what they ought to perceive in their understanding of the fear. That serves as a basis for this study, which exclusively focused on six different types of property crimes that often create fear among individuals living a given social environment. The types of fear of crime considered as part of this research study include “fear of burglary while away from home, vehicle theft, bicycle theft, property theft, vandalism, and vehicle burglary.” The focus on these types of fear creates an extension through which to reflect on what would be expected in trying to understand why people often find themselves experiencing fear of crime while seeking to build on the perceived risk associated with these types of crime. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the fear of crime, specifically when dealing with property crime, is much greater during the day when compared to the fear that people have during the day. That arises from the fact that a majority of the people tend to believe that nighttime serves as a suitable environment allowing criminals to engage in illegal activities without the fear of being caught or detected. The research disputes the fact that gender is a key determinant of the fear of property crime arguing that persons from both genders find themselves experiencing the same fear of crime. In other words, this means that the level of fear among women is equal to the level of fear among men. However, women were noted to have a significant fear of burglary when compared to men, who tend to have a high level of fear for vehicle theft. That seeks to highlight an existing disparity in the perceived risks that people hold with regard to the different types of fears with regard to the property crimes. Chataway and Hart engage in a study that seeks to consider gender as a key factor of consideration towards determining the prevalence of fear of crime. The study seeks to engage in an overview of how men and women perceive crime, as this serves as a clear reflection of how they are able to build on the fear that they develop with regard to the different types of crimes. The study focused on the hypothesis that women tend to find themselves experience much more fear with regard to crime when compared to men. That arises irrespective of the fact that women are much less likely to experience victimization when compared to their male counterparts. From this perspective, it can be argued that women find themselves experiencing a much more significant connection to crime when compared to men; thus, serving as a factor that seeks to increase the fear that they develop. The researchers justify this position from the fact that women tend to much more fearful in the event that they find themselves being exposed to unfamiliar environments. For example, when in an environment that is likely to expose persons to crime, the level of fear among women is two times higher when compared to the fear that men have within the same environments. Generally, this means that women tend to experience a greater connection to their immediate environment, which serves as a key factor that builds on the fear that they develop. Based on the results, the researchers conclude that the fear of crime, in both men and women, as well as, the perception victimization threat is highly dependent on the type of crime. The researchers indicate that exposure to property crimes increases the level of fear in both men and women, as they tend to hold the view that they would be exposed to the same much more easily. That means that although men and women tend to have differentiated levels of fear of crime, the type of crime serves as a key factor that seeks to create some form of equality in their perception towards the social-psychological dimensions of crime. Chon and Wilson seek to establish a connection between one’s social and ecological environment as key determinants of the level of fear of crime that one develops. From the study, the neighborhood design is considered as a key factor that defines the fear of crime, especially when dealing with property crime. That can be seen from fact that persons living within suburban developments find themselves experiencing a higher level of fear of property crime when compared to those living within informal settlements. That reflects on the fact that a majority of those living with suburban developments tend to hold the perceived risk of burglary, which is not the case when dealing with those living within informal settlements. The researchers indicate that individual-level variables including prior property crime victimization and female gender act as key factors that push for a higher level of fear. In the event that an individual has been exposed to prior property crimes, the fear is much higher considering that they tend to understand the impacts that this type of crime is likely to have on their lives. The researchers also extend their research on what they consider as country-level variables that seek to determine the fear that people develop with regard to fear of crime. The one variable considered at the country-level is poverty with the researchers indicating that countries with a higher poverty rate often experience a higher fear of crime, especially when dealing with property crime. Poverty serves as a challenge for majority of the people considering that it becomes much harder for them to fend for themselves in a manner that would be sustainable. Ultimately, this is much more likely to push them towards engaging in crime; thus, acting as a key factor that builds on the fear of property crime that people will ultimately develop. The study concludes that there is a significant connection between social and ecological environments and the perceived fear of crime that people develop. The researchers indicate that this is driven by the fact that people tend to consider their immediate environments to determine the fear that they will ultimate develop with regard to the possibility of crime.
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