Files
Document type
ArticleVersion
Accepted versionPublication date
All rights reserved
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/103863
Perceived insecurity and fear of crime in a city with low crime rates
Journal Title
Director/Tutor
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Related resource
Abstract
Fear of crime is one of the most important problems in our cities, even in low-crime rate areas. The aim of this paper is to provide evidence of the issues involved in the perceived risk of victimization and fear of crime in these contexts using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) technique. Five hundred and seventyone people living in a working-class neighborhood of Barcelona answered a 45-item questionnaire including the following 7 constructs: perception of insecurity, previous threat experiences, social representations of insecurity, personal control and coping skills, potential aggressors, urban identity, and perceived environmental quality. Findings confirm the theoretical model, in which fear of crime is structurally related to: a) environmental features, b) personal variables, and c) social representation of unsafe places. In addition, we found that the role of social aspects is as important as that of environmental and psychological ones. Residential satisfaction and urban social identity appear as relevant variables.
Subject (English)
Citation
Citation
VALERA, Sergi and GUÀRDIA-OLMOS, Joan. Perceived insecurity and fear of crime in a city with low crime rates. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 2014. Vol. 38, num. 195-205. ISSN 0272-4944. [consulted: 15 of August of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/103863