An Examination of the Shadow of Sexual Assault Hypothesis Among Men and Women in South Korea

Abstract

Using a South Korean sample from 2010 National Crime Victim Survey, the current research examined the gender differences of fear of four different types of crime testing the shadow of sexual assault thesis, which asserts that sexual assault operates as a master offense for females. The current study provides insight into the robustness of the shadow hypothesis by controlling for various covariates (e.g., perceptions of the neighborhood and crime-related media consumption) that have been often omitted in this line of literature. Results show that the largest difference in fear between males and females was the fear of sexual assault, and based on coefficient comparison tests, fear of sexual assault was a stronger predictor of fear of other crimes among males than among females. The current study calls for future research to disentangle the shadow of sexual hypothesis in different settings and to conduct more studies specifically on men’s fear of crime.

Factors Influencing Public Trust in the Police in South Korea: Focus on Instrumental, Expressive, and Normative Models

“…Citizens are inclined to have a considerably obedient attitude toward police officers (Morash et al, 2008). Finally, as many crimes against women have recently occurred, it resulted in high levels of fear of crime among women in South Korea (Choi et al, 2020).…”

Fear of Crime among Female North Korean Defectors in South Korea

“…Owing to the nature of secondary data, there were also several variables that we could not include in our statistical models. For instance, previous studies have shown that fear of crime can depend on individuals' perceptions of neighborhoods, including physical and social disorders or social support (Choi et al, 2020;Garofalo, 1979;Gibson et al, 2002). Future researchers can consider a complete set of variables that hold the potential to explain fear of crime among immigrants.Additionally, future researchers should consider investigating immigrants' personal experiences using qualitative research to gain a richer, more complex and comprehensive understanding of the emotional and cognitive aspects of immigrants' day-to-day lives in host countries.…”

“…For example, the vulnerability hypothesis suggests that women are more fearful of crime, reflecting their sense of vulnerability to the danger involving crime (Jackson, 2009;Maxfield, 1984;Schafer et al, 2006). On the other hand, the shadow of sexual assault hypothesis proposes that women tend to display high levels of fear of crime because their fear of sexual assault overshadows their fear of other crimes (Choi et al, 2020;Ferraro, 1996;Yodanis, 2004). Despite the importance of these frameworks in understanding gender as a key variable associated with fear of crime, most of the works on these frameworks have treated women as an internally homogenous group, failing to distinguish differences within women.…”

“…Second, women may encounter the threat of male physical and sexual violence more frequently in a patriarchal society because male dominance is valued and recognized (e.g., Junger, 1987;Stanko, 1995). Finally, a patriarchal society stresses women's sexual integrity, and women may worry more about possible sexual assault and harassment, and this fear of sexual victimization can overshadow other fears (e.g., Choi et al, 2020;Ferraro, 1996;Yodanis, 2004).…”

Behind Closed Doors: The Role of Risky Lifestyles and Victimization Experiences on Fear of Future Victimization Among South Korean Inmates

“…Whether fear of future victimization stems from prior victimization, vicarious victimization, or a view of disorder/dilapidation in one's surroundings, prior literature has consistently established that fear of victimization is closely related to the victimization experience (Choi, Yim, & Lee, 2019;Fisher, Sloan, & Wilkins, 1995;LaGrange, Ferraro, & Supancic, 1992; L. N. Smith & Hill, 1991;Taylor & Hale, 1986). Although the current literature continues to support a link between fear of victimization and actual victimization rates, inconsistencies in the definition of fear of victimization and the direction of this relationship remain (Collins, 2016).…”