Are older people most afraid of crime? Reconsidering age differences in fear of victimization

The reasons why previous studies of fear of crime yield different conclusions regarding age differences are examined. Data from a national survey of adults are used to assess whether older adults manifest the highest levels of fear of crime. No significant relationship was found between age and the commonly used indicators of fear of crime in many previous studies when controlling for relevant factors. Using an alternative strategy for measuring fear of crime--based upon rating fear for 10 different victimizations--reveals that younger persons are more likely than older persons to be afraid of most types of crime. Women score higher on fear for all victimizations considered. A LISREL analysis indicates that the 10 victimizations are best characterized as either personal or property crime and that older adults' scores on these dimensions are below the grand mean; persons 75 years or older have the lowest scores on fear of property crime. These results question the existence of the "victimization/fear paradox."