Fear of crime: testing alternative hypotheses

This paper examines the spatial and social distribution of the fear of crime and the relationships of such fear with aspects of the environment. Through an analysis of a questionnaire survey conducted in a variety of areas in Stoke-on-Trent in the English Midlands, it considers both the causes of the fear of crime and the associations that have been identified with other dimensions shaping vulnerability. It concludes by offering some guidance on how to address the differences between those populations who fear crime most and those who are most vulnerable. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.