The Fear of Crime in Newham - Dissertation Example

The fear of crime is not one generic concept. A number of different aspects of knowledge about crime and emotional reaction to the problem interact to create an individual’s particular experience of the fear of crime. the quality of life enjoyed by people, the extent to which they feel safe and the way they perceive their environment all affect their fear of crime. Some of the important elements of this fear are:Perception of crime: Public anxiety about crime arises from information about crime and the risk of becoming a victim (O'Connell & Whelan 1996).

Jackson (2009) has suggested that the perception of risk of a crime being committed, the risk of victimisation and the individual’s assessment of the expense of the issue play a significant role in the way people evaluate their safety. According to these findings, the perception of crime and risk not only affect how vulnerable the individual feels but also influence the self-efficacy and ability to fend off an attack. Thus, an individual who sees the risks as lower are more likely to feel in control as compared to an individual who perceives the risks as high.

O'Connell, Invernizzi, and Fuller (1998) suggest that the perception of crime can be significantly influenced by factors like newspaper readership and the way crime is presented in the different newspapers. Hipp (2010) also suggests that violent crimes have a higher rate of influence on the perception of crime as compared to non-violent crimes.