Revista Română de Sociologie (Apr 2010)
Victimization and Fear of Crime in Romania and Hungary: a Comparative Analysis
Abstract
Using multivariate analyses on cross-sectional data from the European Social Survey Round 3-2006/2007 conducted on representative samples of persons aged 15 and over in Romania (N=2139) and Hungary (N=1518), this comparative study will explore the relationships between victimization, trust in the police and fear of crime in two Eastern European neighboring countries that recently became EU member states. Socio-demographic and personal-level indicators which are likely to influence people's perception of safety will also be examined. Based on the number of crimes reported to the police in 2005, total crime rates in Hungary appear to be significantly higher than in Romania. However, the fear of victimization is, on average, significantly more intense in Romania than in Hungary. Although results show that in both countries, persons with higher levels of trust in the police are less likely to be afraid of being victimized, direct and indirect experience with victimization is the most important predictor of fear of crime in Hungary and Romania. Consistent with previous research, gender, age, and urban residency are additional significant correlates of fear of crime.
