Although fear of crime is a concern for people of all genders, studies consistently find that women around the world tend to have much higher levels of fear of crime than men, despite the fact that in many places, and for most offenses, men's actual victimization rates are higher.
This study argues that women's fear of crime is caused by traditional societal gender roles.
[8] Feminist discourse on fear of crime tends to explain women's higher levels of fear with the unequal gender structure in most societies, which places women beneath men within the power structure and thus puts them especially at risk for victimization by men.
[16] One researcher has coined the term "sexual terrorism" to describe violence against women that is intended to keep the patriarchal society that we live in alive.
In many studies, the demographics found to have the highest generalized fear of crime are single, older, urban, women of color, and of lower socioeconomic class.
Rural areas are almost always perceived by residents and outsiders as safer, so it is often assumed that fear of crime levels will be lower there.
Still, 2005 research in New Zealand and the United Kingdom noted that fear of crime levels in rural areas is on the rise, and found that sources of fear of crime among rural women often include perceived encroachment of urban influence (through people or attitudes) into their communities.
[20] Well designed parks and play spaces, for example, that are properly managed to be well-used and that offer social activities help women and girls to feel safe.
[1] One of the most common individual strategies for dealing with fear of crime and preventing victimization is simple avoidance, the attempt to stay away from areas (such as dark alleys or public transportation) where it is believed victimization is likely to occur; research has found that women employ avoidance strategies more often than men do.
Popular examples include home security systems, locking away valuables, or participating in neighborhood watch programs.
[20] Some women also choose to carry weapons, such as knives or guns, or repellents like pepper spray and Mace to ward off potential attackers.
In the study, fear of crime had a statistically significant correlation with subjective wellbeing for females, but no significant correlation for males, suggesting that for the men in the study, fear of crime was not an important factor in determining their happiness and life satisfaction.
[22] A 2013 study of Hong Kong social work students found significant gender differences in fear of crime levels.
[14] A 1998 study in Glasgow, Scotland, found a gender disparity in fear of crime levels smaller than what is generally accepted.
[7] A 2010 Turkish study using a large nationwide sample confirmed that women expressed significantly higher levels of fear of crime than men.
The study also found that previous victimization, a consistent predictor for higher levels of fear in women, was present at close to equal rates in the male and female samples, suggesting that prior victimization has a stronger effect on women's fear of crime than on men's.
[21] A study conducted in India has shown that Indian women have more fear of being victimized by a stranger than by people with whom they have close relationships.