Sociological Predictors of Fear of Crime: Is It Social Capital or Social Control?

Sociological predictors of fear of crime among a clustered sample of 1800 participants residing in 60 different neighborhoods in istanbul have been examined in this study. bivariate and multivariate analyses indicate that women, elderly and those who have been victimized in the last five years have higher rates of fear than males, younger people and those who were not victimized in the last five years respectively. among sociological factors, while social capital decreases individuals’ fear of crime; unexpectedly, social control increases fear of crime. perceived physical and social disorder in the neighborhood, on the other hand, increases fear of crime. based on a comparative investigation of the relationships among fear, social capital, and social control with western countries, this study also presents policy implications and suggestions for future studies aimed at decreasing fear of crime and increasing social organization and social control in turkish society.