“Danger lurks around every corner”: Fear of Crime and its Impact on Opportunities for Social Interaction in Stigmatised Australian Suburbs

Abstract

This article examines some of the ways in which fear of crime impacts upon opportunities for social interaction among residents in stigmatised suburbs. As we explore in this article, neighbourhoods that are stigmatised by virtue of material disadvantage and poor reputations tend to be associated with a number of social problems, including higher rates of crime. This association with crime, our research suggests, has an impact on social interaction in these neighbourhoods. Specifically, fear of crime may make people less likely to draw on forms of social interaction which enable people to build trust through contact with their fellow residents. In developing this position, the article draws on qualitative data detailing residents' perceptions of safety in three neighbourhoods in Adelaide, South Australia, two of which are stigmatised as 'problem neighbourhoods'. The article concludes by considering the public policy implications that arise from the research.

The Trappings of Home: Young Homeless People's Transitions Towards Independent Living

“…Instead young people are often seen as a danger to common values surrounding property maintenance, noise and privacy (Bostrom, 2001). This is even more pronounced for young people in public housing (Arthurson, 2004;Palmer et al, 2005).…”

“…However, 'normal' home occupiers can deny the domestic competence of perceived outsiders who are often seen as incapable tenants (Palmer et al, 2005). Thus, proving competence can be seen as a way of attaining access to, and partial ownership of, the 'normal' home occupying discourse.…”

“…He also identified how renters play an important and powerful part of normalising discourses of home ownership. People renting are often vilified in the media as outsiders, especially those in public housing, who are negatively associated with profligacy, waste, fecklessness and seen as lazy, lacking in pride and self esteem (Palmer et al, 2005). While not owning a home does not necessarily preclude people from a community of home owners, renters are nonetheless positioned outside the mainstream (Richards, 1990).…”

Are Neighbourhood Incivilities Associated with Fear of Crime?

“…Similarly, Jackson (2005) found that perceptions of incivilities affect perceptions of community cohesion, perceived likelihood of crime and the frequency of worry about crime, suggesting the inability of the individual to manage the risk of criminal victimisation and its consequences is one of the reasons individuals worry. Based on qualitative research in neighbourhoods in Adelaide, Palmer et al (2005) noted how in stigmatised neighbourhoods with high rates of incivilities, fear of crime may restrict social interaction and trust. This relationship may be 'self-reinforcing': perceptions of increasing incivilities increase fear of crime, which in turn reduces social interaction and organisation and further increases incivilities.…”

Examining Neighborhood Social Cohesion in the Context of Community-based Participatory Research: Descriptive Findings from an Academic-Community Partnership

“…4 Research indicates that feeling unsafe in one's neighborhood and the fear of being a victim of crime can decrease social ties and social cohesion among neighbors. [5][6][7][8][9][10] Further, perceived neighborhood violence and hearing about violence in one's community, in addition to being a victim of violence, contributes to adverse psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression and stress. 11,12 For that past 3 decades, a common approach to addressing the health of disadvantaged communities has been establishing community coalitions.…”