Predicting Frequent and Feared Crime Typologies: Individual and Social/Environmental Variables, and Incivilities

Sónia Caridade, Mariana Magalhães, Vanessa Azevedo, Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis, Rui Leandro Maia, Rui Estrada, Ana Isabel Sani and Laura M. Nunes
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Sónia Caridade: Permanent Observatory of Violence and Crime (OPVC), University of Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
Mariana Magalhães: Permanent Observatory of Violence and Crime (OPVC), University of Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
Vanessa Azevedo: Permanent Observatory of Violence and Crime (OPVC), University of Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis: Permanent Observatory of Violence and Crime (OPVC), University of Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
Rui Leandro Maia: Permanent Observatory of Violence and Crime (OPVC), University of Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
Rui Estrada: Permanent Observatory of Violence and Crime (OPVC), University of Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
Ana Isabel Sani: Permanent Observatory of Violence and Crime (OPVC), University of Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
Laura M. Nunes: Permanent Observatory of Violence and Crime (OPVC), University of Fernando Pessoa (UFP), 4249-004 Porto, Portugal

Social Sciences, 2022, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: The lack of organisation in urban spaces plays a decisive role in the level of integration, communication and social bonds of the residents, impacting the citizens’ feelings of trust and security. Different personal variables and contextual characteristics have been associated with the fear of crime (FOC). The main objective of this study is to analyse how individual and social/environmental variables, and incivilities, predict crime against people and property, crime that has either happened or is feared to happen. Five hundred and fifty-four residents ( M = 43.82; SD = 18.38) in the Historic Centre of Porto (HCP), Portugal, answered 61 items of the Diagnosis of Local Security (DLS) Questionnaire. The results of this study show that in the most frequent crime category, 72% of occurrences represent crime against property. In the feared crime category, there is a preponderance of crime against people (61%). Age of the respondents predicted the most frequent and feared crime, while sex predicted the most feared crime only. Social/environmental variables, as well as incivilities, also predict the frequent and feared crime in two typologies, i.e., crime against people and crime against property. Practical implications to reduce FOC and areas for further investigation are discussed.

Keywords: fear of crime (FOC); individual and social/environmental variables; incivilities; crime (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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