Women's fear of crime

Although fear of crime affects all genders, studies consistently find that women report higher levels of fear than men, despite the fact that in many places, men's actual victimization rates are higher for most offenses. Fear of crime is related to a perceived risk of victimization, but is not the same; fear of crime may be generalized instead of referring to specific offenses, and perceived risk may also be considered a demographic factor that contributes to fear of crime. Women tend to have higher levels for both perceived risk and fear of crime.

In women's everyday lives, fear of crime can have negative effects, such as reducing their environmental mobility. Studies have shown that women tend to avoid certain behaviors, such as walking alone at night, because they are fearful of crime, and would feel more comfortable with these behaviors if they felt safer. Paradoxically, women most likely to report fear of crime are also more likely to report going out.