Predicting Fear of Crime in Sweden

Researches on fear of crime show that there are numerous predictors of fear of crime, particularly age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and the residential area. Among these studies, gender is the strongest predictor of fear of crime. A number of explanations have been suggested in the literature for the women's heightened fear levels. This book examines the predictors of fear of crime in Sweden by testing the shadow of sexual assault hypothesis, emerging as a leading explanation for women's heightened fear levels. The current research suggests that the fear of sexual assault shadows the fear of other offenses, especially crimes that involves face-to-face contact between victims and offenders. Further, women's fear of sexual assault is influenced by perceived risk, constrained behaviors, and neighborhood characteristics. This book should be helpful to scholars and policy makers, who seek to provide a better understanding of women's fear of sexual assault, as well as to students at all level education, who are interested in the field of fear of crime.