Victimization and the fear of crime in Vancouver

This thesis explores whether past victimization, age, gender, community attachment and media exposure influence a person’s fear of crime. A fear of crime survey was administered to 118 respondents in Vancouver. The sample was divided into two groups: victims of violent offences, and the victims of property offences. The findings suggest that past victimization significantly influences a person’s fear of crime. Fear of crime is also significantly related to gender and age: females, the elderly, and the youngest respondents in the sample are the groups exhibiting the highest level of fear. Lastly, the findings of this study indicate that community attachment and media exposure had a negligible impact on the respondents’ fear of crime. A gap between the police and the community could be the underlying cause of heightened levels of fear of crime. This is a policy issue that should be addressed by the Vancouver Police.