Fear of Crime and Criminal Victimization

Early in 1991, the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN) was given the task of carrying out a representative German victim survey of persons over 16 years of age. The aim of this survey, entitled »Feeling of Personal Safety, Fear of Crime and Violence and the Experience of Victimization amongst Elderly People«, is to gain knowledge about the extent and the structure of self-reported criminal victimization with special focus on the elderly. The area of intra-family victimization is especially emphasized. Analyzing fear of crime, subjective well-being, and personal feelings of safety with reference to relevant theory is another topic of research. Finally, attitudes towards crime and crime control and public opinion on current criminal justice issues are included within the framework of this survey. In spring 1991, the KFN organized a workshop on these topics with experts from the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Switzerland, and Germany. The revised papers and statements that were discussed during this meeting are summarized in this reader. They range from reports about the authors' own experiences with problems of victim surveys to broad theoretical and methodological reviews