While fear of crime is frequently discussed internationally, it is currently addressed by only a limited number of Czech studies. The aim of the paper is to present the main methodological concepts that have infl uenced the research on fear of crime and the design of indicators by which this phenomenon is measured. Furthermore, we evaluate and compare fear of crime measures in three surveys - the Euro-Justis pilot project, the fi fth wave of the large-scale international European Social Survey and a survey of the Public Opinion Research Centre - and provide information about whether and to what extent people fear crime. The results of the analysis suggest that the wording and type of questions could be crucial in measuring fear of crime and that although a signifi cant proportion of respondents declared being fearful their “fear experiences” are found to be relatively rare., Eva Moravcová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Over the years both scientists and scholars have been interested in fear of crime because it ranks among the most important indicators of the effectiveness of the fight against crime. Although this phenomenon is widely studied abroad, there are only a handful of Czech studies that discuss it in depth. The aim of this article is to broaden the scope of research in this area. The article maps the possible causes and consequences of fear of crime in reference to the literature and the specific milieu of the Czech Republic. The author draws on a representative sample of 2836 respondents from the fifth wave of the European Social Survey. Consistent with findings in international research the data suggest that a perceived risk of victimisation is a significant factor influencing respondents’ fear. Conversely, indicators of vulnerability, such as gender and satisfaction with family income or victimisation, although statistically significant, explain only a small part of the variability of the dependent variable. Rather they act vicariously right through the perceived risk of victimisation. Finally, the data suggest that fear of crime can play an important role in shaping attitudes towards different social institutions, in particular the police. A higher fear of crime correlates with/is associated with a worse assessment of police effectiveness.