Environmental factors affecting fear of crime among young women on streets in Seoul

Abstract

In modern society, the fear of crime and actual criminal activities influences the quality of daily life. Individuals vulnerable to crime are more impacted by its fear than its potential direct damage. This study aims to determine the factors affecting the fear of crime, experienced by women in open public spaces, which city dwellers use every day. We visited a specific area to survey the points, reasons, and intensity of this fear in 195 female pedestrians belonging to the age group of 20–29. After the data collection on factors influencing fear of crime (human factors, crime prevention facilities, and spatial structural factors), the effect of each element was analyzed. Through a step-by-step regression analysis, “human factors” and “crime prevention facilities” were found to largely influence the fear of crime in women. This study subdivided the demographic characteristics affecting the frequency and intensity of the fear of criminality. Thus, the study is expected to be used as a basis for instituting policies to reduce the fear of crime in women.

Keywords

• fear of crime
• open public space
• floating population
• crime prevention facility
• spatial structure