Adolescent fear of crime: Testing Ferraro’s risk interpretation model
| Author | Eva Krulichová,Zuzana Podaná |
| Date | 01 November 2019 |
| Published date | 01 November 2019 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1477370818788014 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1477370818788014
European Journal of Criminology
2019, Vol. 16(6) 746 –766
© The Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/1477370818788014
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Adolescent fear of crime:
Testing Ferraro’s risk
interpretation model
Eva Krulichová
Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
Zuzana Podaná
Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Czech Republic
Abstract
The aim of this study is to broaden the scope of knowledge on fear of crime by examining
if Ferraro’s risk interpretation model of fear of crime also holds true for the adolescent
population. Using data on approximately 1500 Czech students in middle and grammar school,
we test three different models. First, the classic model of fear of crime, applied originally
to adults, is estimated. Second, the role of perceived school disorganization is examined,
taking into account that adolescents spend a substantial part of the day at school. Finally,
we propose an extension of Ferraro’s model by considering parental supervision as a factor
influencing adolescent fear of crime through risk perception and avoidance behaviour. The
results indicate that Ferraro’s original model of fear of crime can be appropriately applied
to both adults and adolescents. Nevertheless, adolescent risk perception, which remains the
most influential determinant of individual fear, seems to be influenced by stimuli stemming
from the school rather than the neighbourhood environment. Furthermore, the relationship
between parental supervision and fear of crime is mediated by avoidance behaviour, while
no direct effect of parental supervision on risk perception and fear of crime was found in
the data.
Keywords
Adolescent fear of crime, Czech Republic, disorganization, parental supervision, risk perception
Corresponding author:
Eva Krulichová, Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Jilská 1, Prague, 110 00, Czech
Republic.
Email: eva.krulichova@soc.cas.cz
788014EUC0010.1177/1477370818788014European Journal of CriminologyKrulichová and Podaná
research-article2018
Article
Krulichová and Podaná 747
Introduction
Research on fear of crime among adults has a long tradition. The first studies started to
appear as early as the 1970s in order to explore fear of crime levels among the public, to
find out whether there is a rational explanation for individual fear and to describe to what
extent it influences people’s everyday lives (see, for example, Furstenberg, 1971; Garofalo,
1979; Lotz, 1979; President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of
Justice: Task Force Report, 1967). It was subsequently revealed that fear of crime pre-
sents a complex social phenomenon that is influenced by a number of individual (gender,
age, victimization experience) and social (neighbourhood disorganization) factors. In
addition to theories about victimization, vulnerability, social incivilities and social disor-
ganization that investigate why certain people are more prone to fear crime, the influential
work of Ferraro (1995) introduced a risk interpretation model of fear of crime, emphasiz-
ing the role of risk perception as a strong correlate of fear of crime and constrained behav-
iour and as a mediator between the aforementioned individual and social factors and fear
of crime. Later, the importance of the relationship between risk perception and fear of
crime, and the mediating effect of risk perception, were also confirmed by other authors
(Farrall et al., 2009; Gainey et al., 2011; Jackson, 2004).
Whereas research on adult fear of crime is well established, knowledge about adolescent
fear is still largely limited (De Groof, 2008; May et al., 2002). Overall, existing research has
shown that adolescent fear of crime is likely to be influenced by similar factors as in the case
of adults. Some authors, however, argue that, unlike adults, the decisions adolescents make,
the activities they undertake and the people they encounter can be greatly influenced by their
parents. Attention is therefore paid to the level of control parents exercise over their off-
spring (Cops, 2013; De Groof, 2008; May et al., 2002, 2015; Wallace and May, 2005). On
the other hand, we have found no study that would test Ferraro’s risk interpretation model of
fear of crime (see Ferraro, 1995) among adolescents and that would allow us to study the
complex relationships between adolescent fear of crime, risk perception, neighbourhood or
school disorganization, constrained behaviour and, possibly, parental supervision.
The first aim of this study is therefore to determine if Ferraro’s (1995) risk interpreta-
tion model of fear of crime also holds true for the adolescent population. In addition to
testing the original model, which postulates perceived neighbourhood disorganization as
one of the factors influencing risk perception and consequently fear of crime, we take
into account that adolescents spend a substantial part of the day at school. We thus also
test the role of perceived school disorganization in informing adolescent fear of crime.
Finally, and with respect to studies pointing to the significance of the relationship
between parenting style and fear of crime, we propose an extension of the model by
including parental supervision as a factor influencing adolescent fear of crime through
risk perception and avoidance behaviour.
Risk interpretation model of fear of crime
Fear of crime, risk perception and constrained behaviour
Although research on fear of crime is well established, the conceptualization and opera-
tionalization of fear of crime within crime and victimization surveys has been a subject
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