Keywords
Perceived risk of victimization
Urban environment
University students
How to Cite
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to determine the levels of fear of crime and perceived victimization risk among university students and to examine the individual and environmental factors influencing these perceptions. It also investigated whether fear of crime is associated primarily with direct victimization experiences or with perceived risk and environmental factors.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 496 students from Çukurova University. The Fear of Crime Scale was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation analyses, and multivariate analysis to identify predictors of fear of crime.
Results: Participants demonstrated high levels of fear of crime and perceived victimization risk. Female participants had significantly higher scores than males across all subdimensions (p<0.05). Significant differences were observed among age groups (p<0.05), whereas education level showed no significant difference (p>0.05). Direct victimization experience was not significantly associated with fear of crime but was associated with increased feelings of insecurity (p<0.05). In contrast, perceived physical and social disorder showed stronger associations with fear of crime and perceived victimization risk. Higher perceived disorder was associated with increased fear and risk perception. Significant positive correlations were identified among the variables (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Fear of crime and perceived victimization risk were more closely associated with individual and environmental factors than with direct victimization experiences. These findings indicate that fear of crime is shaped by perceptual and environmental determinants. Policies should therefore focus on improving urban environments and strengthening social cohesion, with potential indirect benefits for reporting behavior.
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