Determinants of the Fear of Crime in Argentina and Brazil: A Cross-Country Comparison of Non-Criminal and Environmental Factors Affecting Feelings of Insecurity

From harassment to disappearance: Young women’s feelings of insecurity in public spaces

“…In another study, it was identified that the indicators of insecurity depend on the context in which the diagnosis is made, since there are places where the experience of direct and indirect victimization is a central element, while in other places non-criminal aspects such as social disorganization and trust in the police exert greater influence. In the same study, gender and trust in others were found to persist across contexts [ 52 ]. In the place where the study was carried out, these elements were also reported by the participants, although it is worth noting the degree of influence of indirect victimization in anticipating violent crimes and the mistrust they experience in public space, especially towards men.…”

“…The perception of insecurity is an individual assessment of the environment in which the person is inserted, based on the interpretation of risks, dangers or threats, in specific times and places [ 51 ]. It is based on subjective reactions to the risk of crimes, which may not coincide with crime incidence figures, but feed on the uncertainty of the social context [ 52 ].…”

Citizens’ attitudes toward legal authorities in Brazil: Examining the impact of crime, insecurity, and corruption

“…Macro-performance theory attributes differences in public trust in institutions to differences in the range of social phenomena for which responsibility is attributed to the institutions (Van Craen, 2013). Indicators for judging macro-performance of an institution include unemployment rates, poverty rates, economic growth, quality of life, and years of democracy in the country (Bouckaert et al, 2002).…”

“…The growing relationship between crime and corruption further worsened the efforts by the police and other agencies to control crime in Brazil (da Silva & Bernard, 2016). The police and other agencies quickly got trapped in the corruption mundane which led to high crime rates and its spillover of high perception of insecurity among citizens (Boateng & Dzordzormenyoh, 2022;Denyer Willis, 2015;Valente & Vacchiano, 2021). Corruption in the legal system fueled by crime further exacerbated and led to state-driven violence against citizens (Ceccato et al, 2018;Valente & Vacchiano, 2021).…”

“…In addition, Boateng and Dzordzormenyoh (2022) observed that the majority of Brazilians fear violent crime and based on that, have high perceptions of insecurity. Also, it has been argued that citizens' patterns of insecurity and victimization in Brazil are influenced by factors such as the country's experience with forced occupation and slavery (Aransiola et al, 2022;Dammert, 2012;Valente & Vacchiano, 2021). Likewise, a study by Dammert (2012) identified a positive association between high crime rates and citizens' perception of insecurity, suggesting that high crime enhances people's sense of insecurity in their neighborhood.…”