Fear of crime among elderly Jews in Boston and London

This article deals with the impact of fear of crime on the daily behavior of elderly Jews in two racially mixed, deteriorating neighborhoods, one in Boston and the other in London. Although people in both places expressed their fears in a similar language, their behavior was different: the Boston elderly retreated behind locked doors, while the London elderly continued their daily routine almost uninterrupted. Three factors are discussed: crime rate in each neighborhood, the different ecological pattern of both cities, and the impact of racial change. Above all, it seems, the different effect of fear of crime on behavior can be explained by the way the elderly regarded themselves vis-a-vis the community. The London Jews still felt themselves to be a part of their community while the Boston Jews felt alienated from it.