Citation

Reid LW, Konrad M. Sociol. Spectr. 2004; 24(4): 399-425.

Affiliation

Department of Sociology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Mid-South Sociological Association, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/02732170490431331

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In this research we explore the interaction between gender and perceived risk of victimization on levels of fear of crime. Much of the previous research on the effects of gender on fear of crime assumes that crimes are not gendered and that the effects of gender would operate the same regardless of type of crime. Challenging this assumption, we examine crimes that disproportionately victimize women or men. We find that there is greater nuance in both fear of crime and perception of risk when explored in this way. In fact, men's fear of crime actually surpasses women's fear at high levels of perceived risk for those crimes in which men are more likely to be victimized. We offer explanations for this finding, concluding that gendered perceptions of crime and victimization may drive these differences. In sum, our study indicates that future research on fear of crime must be even further attuned to the gender gap in fear.