Theorising the Fear of Crime: The Cultural and Social Significance of Insecurities about Crime

Abstract

This paper outlines the theoretical positions adopted to explain the fear of crime. We start by outlining the broad theoretical approaches taken to account for levels of fear of crime since the 1960s. We structure our review into five sections: The victimisation thesis; Imagined victimisation and the psychology of risk; Disorder, cohesion and collective efficacy - environmental perception; Structural change and macro-level influences on fear; and, Connecting anxieties about crime to other types of anxiety. We then, in preparation for the next two Working Papers, outline the framework that we pursue in the rest of this project - a framework that draws upon a range of insights generated by both quantitative and qualitative research in this area.