Do households with home security systems at home have a lower perceived probability of victimization?

Abstract

Using the dataset of the first nationwide victimization survey in Azerbaijan, the current paper analyzed whether home security systems have a relationship with the perceived probability of property crime victimization. The ordinal logistic regression analysis was employed. The first set of results examining the distribution of security systems identified that despite the impact of certain demographics correlates, perceived risk is not a significant correlate of possession or absence of security systems. The presence of security measures at home was associated with a higher perceived probability of victimization level for acquisitive crimes. This study shows the importance of incorporating home security level as an independent variable. The choice of home as a unit of analysis when studying fear of victimization allowed us to ascertain not only the impact of home security systems on perceived victimization risks, but also to find out whether it is dwelling, demographic or neighborhood features that matter more in affecting sense of safety. The key findings of the study are that a) the level of home security systems is positively correlated with PPV, irrespective of individual-level characteristics, and b) perceived risk is not a statistically significant factor when it comes to a decision to purchase security systems.