Real Versus Perceived Crime Rates: Examining Causes of the Disconnect Between Fear and Reality

Author

Sage L. Eck-Miller, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow

Graduation Year

2024

Graduation Month

December

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

School or Department

Sociology

Major

Sociology – Criminology

Faculty Mentor Department

Sociology

Faculty Mentor

James Tuttle

Keywords

Fear of crime, crime rates, homelessness

Subject Categories

Criminology

Abstract

Americans are more fearful of crime than at any other point in the past two decades, even though crime rates are at the lowest point in close to 30 years. Previous literature has examined various causes of this exaggerated fear, ranging from gender differences to perceived neighborhood disorder as the cause. There have been multiple findings suggesting that neighborhood disorder plays a significant role in creating fear of crime. The presence of trash, unkempt lawns, and run-down properties lead people to believe crime is worse in their area than it actually is. This study examines fear of crime in association to the national robbery rate, media reporting on retail theft, and the presence of unsheltered homeless, as a proxy of perceived neighborhood disorder, to explore causes of the fear. This paper contributes to the previous literature by using new measures to examine potential causes of fear of crime, particularly finding that neighborhood disorder was most closely associated with trends in fear of crime.

Honors College Research Project

1

GLI Capstone Project

no

Recommended Citation

Eck-Miller, Sage L., "Real Versus Perceived Crime Rates: Examining Causes of the Disconnect Between Fear and Reality" (2024). Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts. 524.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/utpp/524