Feeling unsafe or fearful of crime? Perceived reasons of unsafety among older adults
Are feelings of unsafety mostly triggered by fear of crime, or should we also consider other non-crime related reasons of unsafety relevant for older adults (65 years old and older)? The study examined whether different perceived reasons for feeling unsafe were uniquely associated with general feelings of unsafety, in the neighborhood and at home.
We investigated fear of crime (e.g., being worried about being robbed), health limitations (e.g., being afraid to fall), infrastructure (e.g., difficult thresholds or stairs), and social climate in the neighborhood as potential independent perceived reasons of unsafety. The results showed that along with fear of crime, unattractive social climate in the neighborhood and inconveniences in infrastructure at home significantly and uniquely contributed to feeling unsafe, thus indicating that multiple perceived reasons of unsafety are present for older adults. This finding is important for further research on subjective unsafety as well as for safety promoting interventions for older adults.
The study is based on the 65+ and Safe Study data and is part of the doctoral project of Nadezhda Golovchanova. It is currently published in the Nordic Journal of Criminology.
Golovchanova, N., Andershed, H., Boersma, K., & Hellfeldt, K. (2021). Perceived reasons of unsafety among independently living older adults in Sweden. Nordic Journal of Criminology. https://doi.org/10.1080/2578983X.2021.1920756
Contact: Nadezhda Golovchanova, nadezhda.golovchanova@oru.se