Phobic disorders and fear of crime in the elderly

Abstract

This study examines the fear of crime reported by a community sample of elderly cases of phobic disorder, compared with age- and sex-matched controls. The cases expressed more fear for personal safety and fear of property crime than did the controls, and fear of crime was regarded as a more serious problem by the cases. Cases reported more personal experience of victimization than did the controls. After controlling for this variable, there was no difference between the groups with regard to fear of property crime; but among non-victimized subjects the cases remained significantly more fearful for personal safety. Cases also reported higher rates of physical ill health than did the controls. When this was controlled, the only significant difference between groups was greater fear for personal safety in unwell cases compared to unwell controls. The groups did not differ in their judgements about local crime rates, but the cases were less likely to consider themselves capable of self-defence. These findings suggest that phobic disorders in old age are associated with greater perceived personal vulnerability, and that this contributes to a significant proportion of the problematic fear of crime in this age group.