The effect of fear of sexual victimization on adolescent fear of crime

Author: May, D. C.
Publication: Sociological Spectrum
Topics: Crime Students Adolescents
Keywords: Adolescent Attitudes Adolescents FEAR of crime students
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Using data from the Mississippi High School Youth Survey of 725 rural and suburban 10th through 12th grade students and theories of adult fear of crime, the author evaluates adolescent fear of sexual victimization on adolescent fear of crime. 49.5% of males and 65.9% of females surveyed were afraid of being shot. “The results indicate that…gender, age, race, perceived neighborhood incivility, and perceived risk all had statistically significant associations with adolescent fear of criminal victimization.” Students, and especially females, who were fearful of sexual assault were more likely to be fearful of criminal victimization in general.