Social Fear of Crime and Its Consequences
Social fear of crime is a phenomenon of interest to scientific disciplines. The present study draws primarily on the achievements of criminology. It shows that there are different ways of interpreting fear of crime, explaining its causes and responding to it. The conclusions also depend on the pers...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Applied Sciences in Bielsko-Biała
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Zeszyty Naukowe Wyższej Szkoły Finansów i Prawa w Bielsku-Białej |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.wsfip.edu.pl/index.php/asej/article/view/414 |
| _version_ | 1797226600075362304 |
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| author | Leszek Wilk Bogdan Fibinger |
| author_facet | Leszek Wilk Bogdan Fibinger |
| author_sort | Leszek Wilk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Social fear of crime is a phenomenon of interest to scientific disciplines. The present study draws primarily on the achievements of criminology. It shows that there are different ways of interpreting fear of crime, explaining its causes and responding to it. The conclusions also depend on the perspectives - whether it is the perspective of an individual, small social groups or large social structures. There are always objective and subjective elements in evaluations, including irrational ones. The latter hinder rational criminal policy. Fear of crime has negative social consequences, such as a loss of citizens' sense of security, aggressive attitudes, a loss of trust in law enforcement services, a reduction in the need for social contact, a reduction in the willingness to provide assistance - as a result, an increase in crime and an even greater sense of threat, particularly affecting socially weaker groups. The rigour and emotional approach to the problem of punishing criminals, resulting from the fear of crime, gives rise to the phenomenon of so-called penal populism, often used by politicians with the participation of the media. Finally, the economic costs of social fear of crime are not insignificant. For these reasons, the phenomenon should not be underestimated, but should not be overestimated, because in the context of other threatening situations and various dangers, it does not constitute the main feeling of threat to citizens and is far behind such fears as social, economic, health, fear of war, etc. Favourable developments in areas other than internal security, e.g. increased prosperity reduces social fear of crime more than restrictive criminal law.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:24:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fbf15072a38e4cc2bf82243bdbaeda5e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2543-9103 2543-411X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:27:29Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | University of Applied Sciences in Bielsko-Biała |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Zeszyty Naukowe Wyższej Szkoły Finansów i Prawa w Bielsku-Białej |
| spelling | doaj.art-fbf15072a38e4cc2bf82243bdbaeda5e2024-04-03T04:43:15ZengUniversity of Applied Sciences in Bielsko-BiałaZeszyty Naukowe Wyższej Szkoły Finansów i Prawa w Bielsku-Białej2543-91032543-411X2020-04-01241Social Fear of Crime and Its ConsequencesLeszek Wilk0Bogdan Fibinger1Bielsko-Biała School of Finance and Law Department of Law and Social SciencesBielsko-Biała School of Finance and Law Department of Law and Social Sciences Social fear of crime is a phenomenon of interest to scientific disciplines. The present study draws primarily on the achievements of criminology. It shows that there are different ways of interpreting fear of crime, explaining its causes and responding to it. The conclusions also depend on the perspectives - whether it is the perspective of an individual, small social groups or large social structures. There are always objective and subjective elements in evaluations, including irrational ones. The latter hinder rational criminal policy. Fear of crime has negative social consequences, such as a loss of citizens' sense of security, aggressive attitudes, a loss of trust in law enforcement services, a reduction in the need for social contact, a reduction in the willingness to provide assistance - as a result, an increase in crime and an even greater sense of threat, particularly affecting socially weaker groups. The rigour and emotional approach to the problem of punishing criminals, resulting from the fear of crime, gives rise to the phenomenon of so-called penal populism, often used by politicians with the participation of the media. Finally, the economic costs of social fear of crime are not insignificant. For these reasons, the phenomenon should not be underestimated, but should not be overestimated, because in the context of other threatening situations and various dangers, it does not constitute the main feeling of threat to citizens and is far behind such fears as social, economic, health, fear of war, etc. Favourable developments in areas other than internal security, e.g. increased prosperity reduces social fear of crime more than restrictive criminal law. https://www.wsfip.edu.pl/index.php/asej/article/view/414fearsocietycrimesocial rigorismpenal populism |
| spellingShingle | Leszek Wilk Bogdan Fibinger Social Fear of Crime and Its Consequences Zeszyty Naukowe Wyższej Szkoły Finansów i Prawa w Bielsku-Białej fear society crime social rigorism penal populism |
| title | Social Fear of Crime and Its Consequences |
| title_full | Social Fear of Crime and Its Consequences |
| title_fullStr | Social Fear of Crime and Its Consequences |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social Fear of Crime and Its Consequences |
| title_short | Social Fear of Crime and Its Consequences |
| title_sort | social fear of crime and its consequences |
| topic | fear society crime social rigorism penal populism |
| url | https://www.wsfip.edu.pl/index.php/asej/article/view/414 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT leszekwilk socialfearofcrimeanditsconsequences AT bogdanfibinger socialfearofcrimeanditsconsequences |