Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-20-2011
Abstract
In the fear of crime literature, there is a consensus that women consistently report higher levels of fear. I examine how men and women assess their risks in light of prior experience, the environmental conditions that signal risk, and perceived personal vulnerability to provide a more thorough account of the gender disparity. Findings from in-depth interviews with New York City residents suggest that subjective evaluations of vulnerability are strong indicators of fear of crime for men and women. Furthermore, qualitative data reveal that gender assessments of vulnerability are related to issues of socialization, social learning processes and notions of effective agency. Little evidence supports fear of rape as the driving force behind perceived vulnerability for women.
Recommended Citation
Snedker, K. A. (2012). Explaining the Gender Gap in Fear of Crime: Assessments of Risk and Vulnerability Among New York City Residents: Assessments of Risk and Vulnerability Among New York City Residents. Feminist Criminology, 7(2), 75-111. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557085111424405
Peer Reviewed
1
Copyright
The authors
Included in
Gender and Sexuality Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons
Comments
This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Feminist Criminology, volume 7, issue 2, in 2012 following peer review. This article may not exactly replicate the final published version. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at https://doi.org/10.1177/1557085111424405.