Fear of Crime in Public Housing

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Abstract
Fear of crime has been shown to have a variety of negative impacts on quality of life. The purpose of this article is, first, to better understand the factors associated with fear of crime and, second, to see if this fear among public housing residents is influenced by the same factors that influence fear among the general population. Three models of fear of crime are tested using a sample of 267 residents in 11 nonelderly public housing developments. The results of a multiple regression analysis indicate that variables associated with each model contribute to an explanation of fear, although the social control model has the greatest predictive power. Key variables in explaining fear levels include social and physical incivilities, personal victimization, race, and the adequacy of security measures. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.