ABSTRACT
Although individuals have been concerned about crime for centuries, “fear of crime” is a relatively recent concept. Th e expression fear of crime fi rst began to appear in American newspapers during the 1930s and was used to explain the public’s reaction to criminal behavior. However, the term fear of crime was not used in Europe until the early 1960s. It was during this time that the development of victim surveys and improvements in information-gathering technologies made data collection more manageable and the measurement of fear of crime* possible [see Emsley, 1987; Lee, 2007]. In this chapter, the level of fear of crime in Ireland is explored, as well as its impact on quality of life. First, the concept of fear of crime is examined before moving on to discuss how fear of crime became an area of public concern in Ireland. Next, the methods used to assess fear of crime in Ireland are described, and the factors predicting fear of crime and its impact on quality of life are identifi ed. Last, the potential relationship between victimization and fear of crime is examined, and the implications arising from the research fi ndings are explored.
