Fear of Crime: Development, Progress, and Efforts to Erase the Negative Effects it Leaves Behind

Abstract
This study diagnoses the different aspects that cause fear of crime to grow or progress in society. Things that have stronger influences on the mind are considered on higher scales than others. This report has many different points; it will be focused most on: demography and how it is used to show characteristics of your 'common victim', the media's ramification’s on crime, what effects the mind has on crime, and crime within schools. It will also mention different theories and how they affect the thoughts that people have on the amount of crime around them.

Crime is a topic in today's society that cast immense fear into the mind and thoughts of many people, putting hindrance on what many people do in their lives. It is depicted in abundance on television, radio, books, and other entertainment sources of today's day and age, therefore causing more people to focus in on crime. Due to the added attention on the topic, fear of crime, the physical, social, economic, and emotional vulnerability as a result of the stress from crime, is more common than it used to be. Fake court cases and exaggerated crimes are all over reality television, in turn, taking minuscule fears and making them extraordinary with every hour they sit observing them in front of their television a daily basis, one show after another. Mind over matter is a theory that is mentioned when discussing the fear of crime, suggesting that the subject may hear about crimes in an overly thought out way. The everyday streets are being haunted by shadows and criminals that aren't really there, or so their mind makes them think. It is said that knowing there is a problem around someone's environment will cause them to believe that the problem is now theirs to deal or cope with, therefore, the cops aren't called and the paranoia is passed off as just that, until crime actually strikes. This is also known as “problem frame and the production of fear” (Altheide 2002: 41). The media blows this fear out of proportion, so it is more likely for someone to develop this type of thinking in life, as unreasonable as it may be. "Suggests that widespread fear of crime is fueled in part by heavy exposure to violent dramatize programming..." (Romer, Jamieson, & Aday, 2003, p.1) is also a Cultivation theory

that slightly coincides with the theory of mind over matter. It offers the idea that over focusing on the possibility of such heavy crime creates a vivid picture of what could happen. When asking a victim of fear of crime what sparks there fear, they commonly refer to a television show or other piece of media related material. Demographic features are also a focus that is misconstrued by media. For example, sex, race, age, and other characteristics can be shown as common victims to crime. Females, often the victims of crime in the stereotypical crime drama, are less likely to being victimized than males because they are not typically in areas where there is conflict. Young males, especially, are more likely to be targeted, however they show less precaution and fear at the idea than older males. Cities sized like New York City and Manhattan are also where crime is more openly advertised, but due to the large populations it isn't as common in the richer parts of town, much of the conflict that goes on is actually because of the diversity of people within the city. Crime isn't just solely focused on one geography or hair color. Not one race or gender, no matter how coincidental the media may make it seem to be, no matter how many times their seems to be repetition of race or gender or age on T.V. Fear of crime held many people back from doing things, too, for example, going out with friends, taking walks, moving, having a drink, and things of that nature. Economically it could cause problems, as well, people will be less willing to take a job near a 'bad neighborhood' or where there is a history of crime, therefore, lessening income. People will become less

adventurous socially, causing disinclination in their social lives. Eventually, people became victims of being fearful of being victims, so all the precaution they took, was undone, just not how they had attempted to prevent it in the beginning of their attempts. However, fear of crime can also cause precautionary measures to be taken. Precaution leads to less stress since people know they're protected and you have less worries, leading to a better life, but it all depends on how far that person takes the fear and their control over the situation. Depending on their perception of the crime or how they handle that fear is whether of not it will be their restraint or their newest strength. The Flint Patrol Experiment was an experiment launched in January of 1979. It was started as a way to make citizens feel more protected and attempt at lessening their fear of crime. The project was considered a success because in a survey at the end of the third year 70 percent of people surveyed that they felt safer, especially so when their foot patrol was near and highly visible. The Flint study was the one of first done by police officers that took into consideration fear of crime as a factor. The study opened doors to community policing in some ways, as well. It also caused better relationships with the people of the community through the officers. There was one aspect that even the police force was having trouble busting: violence in school is a large and progressing problem. Today in schools there are shootings, stabbings, and violence on a regular basis. This violence has parents, students, and staff terrified of what could come in the school day. Even on a much smaller scale, there are problems with bullying in

schools, although it isn't crime it is still another problem that, at times, result to violence. Children also join gangs at young ages, making middle schools and high school precarious places to be, student, parent, teacher, administrator, staff, or any other person in the building. No matter the amount of procedure that is run through the school, there is no way to be completely sure if everyone within the building is going to be safe from crime because no two crimes are going to be identical, therefore, no two procedures are going to be a safe enough solution for everyone, especially in attempt to keep the crime from reoccurring.