Fear of crime

 







Topic: Fear of Crime
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Introduction
	Fear of crime is a frequent issue these days. Many people in modern community show stress and fear about criminal activity and about being offended. The level of fear that an individual maintains relies on many aspects, such as sex, age, any past encounters with criminal activity that an individual may have, where an individual resides, and race. All of these aspects have an effect on fear levels.
Media portrayal of crime and public fear
	The public gets information regarding crime from a variety of resources, but one significant resource for details is the press/media. The press is a highly effective way of getting information across to people, since up to 95% of individuals use the press as a primary resource for all kinds of information.
	Numerous studies have checked out the way in which the press portrays criminal activity and how their portrayals effect levels public fear of crime (Marsh, 2009). It has been found that the press usually disproportionately signifies aggressive records of criminal activity. The press covers activities, which are "intense, interesting, stimulating, or extreme.” The media have always shown a grand interest in crime. This issue has, heightened levels of public fear for crime, as most of them depend on the media for such information. Indeed, the fact that the media portrays only intense, entertaining and extreme criminal events, it has instilled extreme fear to the public as people have a picture that only extreme crime is happening and it might also happen to them.
However, the degree of public fear of crime depends largely on the amount of media that are consumed in a particular region. People living in areas of high crime, and who consume a lot of media, are likely to be more afraid of crime.
Influence of public fear of crime on Individual behavior
	As discussed in the above context, the media play a significant role in causing public fear of crime. It is obvious that public fear of crime can influence individual behavior. Once there is public fear for crime individuals tend to avoid certain areas, which they think is dangerous. It has also been found that individuals’ expenditure on security increases significantly (Jewkes, 2004). This is evident by the increased purchases of burglar-alarms or even locks. In other terms, some levels of fear can be termed as healthy since they make individuals have a natural defense against crime. When there is public fear for crime, individuals are extremely careful with whom they deal with. This is because anyone could be a criminal and anyone could be a target.
Media responsibility for portrayal of crime
	In the public debate, the media have often been held responsible for causing individuals' fear, insecurity, and the avoidance of public venues, especially after dark. The media are a source of information for most of the people, and now, more than ever, people increasingly trust the media, than any other sector (Jewkes, 2004). The media are, therefore, accountable for causing public fear for crime, as people believe, in large extents, in what the media portrays on the daily events of the crime. How it portrays the event, affects in a significant manner, the public’s perception of crime. However, media’s portrayal of crime should not be disregarded, as it enables people to take caution in their dealings, where they go, and where they reside. People are able to put up security systems that protect them from victimization. The media are, therefore, responsible for the portrayal of crime as it relates to public fear of crime.
Conclusion
	Media is an essential sector in the contemporary days. Nevertheless, how it portrays crime influences the levels of public fear for crime (Mash, 2009). Despite the recent efforts by governments to reduce the level of fear of crime in public, it seems the effect has not been felt. Other techniques should be deployed to tackle this issue of public fear of crime.

 
References
Jewkes, Y. (2004). Media and crime. London Thousand Oaks: SAGE.
Marsh, I. (2009). Crime, justice and the media. London New York: Routledge.