Commuting routines and living environments as determinants of fear of crime

―Analyses using data from social survey of local residents―

Abstract

Using data from social survey of residents, the present study examined whether some living environments which included commuting routines as well as risk perception and other factors affected fear of crime using hierarchical multiple regression. The main results were summarized as follows. Risk perception affected fear of crime. Incivility and commuting routines as well as female car ownership affected fear of crime, after controlling for the effects of risk perception and other variables on fear of crime. The results implied that outside behaviors including commuting routines explained fear of crime to some extent. Further studies which measure more various types of outside behaviors will be needed for testing the relationship between living environments and fear of crime.