Public fear of crime

Question 1

Impact of victimisation

Answer 1

• Men can’t grasp women’s experiences and fears of sexual danger.
• people often have a fear of crime disproportionate to their chance of being victimised.
  CSEW data - risk of victimisation was 15.2% but respondents estimated it at 19.1%.

Question 2

Garofolo (1981)

Answer 2

• explored how fear of crime is triggered by perceived cues in the environment.
• public believe certain crimes occur more frequently than they do, and that they are more likely to fall victim to it.
• examines risk and costs associated with fear of crime.

Question 3

factors influencing fear of crime

Answer 3

• demographic factors.
• social/cultural.
• socioeconomic status.
• media exposure.
• trust in CJS.
• personal experience.
• race & ethnicity.

Question 4

moral panic def.

Answer 4

disproportionate social responses to exaggerated fears.

Question 5

social actors of moral panics

Answer 5

• politicians - primary definers.
• agents of social control - primary definers.
• news media - secondary definers.
• public - audiences to P & S definers.
• folk devils - threat to societal values.

Question 6

characteristics of moral panic

Answer 6

• concern - heightened over behaviour of a certain group.
• hostility - negative reactions from fearful directed at the feared.
• volatility - each moral panic erupts and subsides quickly.
  disproportionality - exaggerated figures, rumours of harm believed and changes over time.

Question 7

moral panic theory

Answer 7

1. flk devils behaviour defined as ‘threat’ to social values.
2. threat depicted in a dramatic form by the media.
3. rapid build-up of public concern.
4. authorities call for solution to the problem.
5. panic recedes & results in institutional changes.

Question 8

fear of crime

Answer 8

• long-lasting consequences to social life.
• influenced by public concern and social cohesion.
• associated w/ increased anxiety and withdrawal from social activities.
• contributes to lowering QOL as much as crime does.
• can contribute to gov. policy making and policing strategies.

Question 9

deviancy amplification

Answer 9

• transmission of deviancy information leads to exaggeration & adaptive behavioural reaction.
• can lead to SFP - character is defined as ‘bad’ so it becomes their master status.
• we associate crimes w/ certain groups causing negative social labels & increased community tensions.

Question 10

examples of moral panic

Answer 10

• witch trials - execution of ‘demonic’ women.
• AIDS - demonisation of gay community.
• communist red scare - arrests, surveillance & political discrimination in the US.