Street Youths′ Fear of Violent Crime

Abstract

Utilizing a sample of 300 street youths the article examines the roles, perceptions of control, depression, prior victimization, criminal behavior, peer crime and victimization, homelessness, and violent subcultural values play in the perception of violent victimization risk and the fear of violent crime. Results suggest that previous victimization and peers’ victimization along with depression and an external locus of control increases perceptions of victimization risk for violent crime. Younger street youths also perceived greater victimization risk. Further, females and minority respondents have higher levels of fear of violent victimization. Levels of fear of violent crime are also predicted by previous violent victimization, depression, and an external locus of control. In contrast, social support and violent subcultural values were associated with lower levels of fear. Findings are discussed in terms of extending theory to help understand perceptions of victimization risk and fear of crime.

Acknowledgments

The author acknowledges the financial support of the Queen's University Chancellor's Research Award. Special thanks also to Owen Gallupe for his research assistance and to Fiona Kay and David Forde for their comments.

Notes

*p < .05 two-tailed test.

**p < .01 two-tailed test.

*p < .05 one-tailed test.

**p < .01 one-tailed test.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stephen W. Baron

STEPHEN W. BARON is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at Queen's University. His research focuses on homeless street youth and crime and substance abuse. His work has appeared in Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Journal of Criminal Justice, and Deviant Behavior.