An exploratory study into the levels of fear of crime reported within an online community platform based in Centurion
Research on fear of crime has been a central issue within criminological studies since the early 1970s. In particular, the geographic variance in levels of fear as well as the accompanying shifts in individual and neighbourhood behaviour, attitudes toward law enforcement and sense of safety has rece...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2017
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| In: |
Acta criminologica
Year: 2017, Volume: 30, Issue: 2, Pages: 27-46 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Summary: | Research on fear of crime has been a central issue within criminological studies since the early 1970s. In particular, the geographic variance in levels of fear as well as the accompanying shifts in individual and neighbourhood behaviour, attitudes toward law enforcement and sense of safety has received attention by criminological researchers. In this study the reported levels of fear of crime within an online forum, created to monitor crime and communicate events within the Centurion area of South Africa, were examined. This study aimed to understand whether the levels of fear experienced by individuals would result in higher instances of precautionary behaviours and changes in lifestyle. Participants were requested to participate in an online survey derived from the work of Williams, McShane and Akers (2000), which examines the levels of concern about crime among participants. One of the primary findings of the study were that fear of crime appears to be linked to specific crimes as opposed to a generalised sense of fear. Furthermore, there was no significant link between gender and age or the levels of fear of crime. |
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| ISSN: | 1012-8093 |