犯罪を減らしても犯罪への恐怖は減らない(What Might Reduce Crime Does Not Reduce Fear of Crime)

2024-02-09

2024-02-08 マックス・プランク研究所

環境の変化は犯罪を減らすことが知られているが、それが恐怖心も減らすかは不明だった。ドイツ、オランダ、英国の犯罪学者の研究によると、街頭照明の増加は恐怖心に影響せず、監視の存在は逆に恐怖心を増加させる傾向がある。これらの結果から、環境犯罪対策は恐怖心に対して予期せぬ結果をもたらす可能性があることが示唆された。

<関連情報>

近隣の犯罪削減介入と知覚される住みやすさ犯罪恐怖に関するバーチャルリアリティ研究 Neighborhood crime reduction interventions and perceived livability: A virtual reality study on fear of crime

William P. McClanahan, Carmen S. Sergiou, Aniek M. Siezenga, Dominik Gerstner, Henk Elffers, Job van der Schalk, Jean-Louis van Gelder
Cities Available online:6 February 2024
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.104823

Highlights

•In two Virtual Reality Experiments we examined how environmental interventions influence Fear of Crime.
•In study 1, manipulated lighting and sound did not influence Fear of crime.
•In study 2, a Watching-eyes intervention indirectly increased Fear of Crime via feelings of being watched.
•Watching-eyes interventions aimed at reducing crime may indirectly increase the Fear of Crime.
•Researchers should examine the boundary conditions and potential unintended consequences of environmental interventions.

Abstract

High levels of Fear of Crime (FOC) are associated with people engaging with their community less, lower use of public spaces, and a general sense of overall anxiety. In short, such fear may reduce the livability of an area. The primary goal of this research was to examine the potential consequences of environmental interventions intended to reduce crime on FOC and perceived livability of the area. Using immersive Virtual Reality (VR) technology, in two studies we examined how environmental interventions in residential neighborhoods influence FOC. In Study 1, we examined how motion-activated, dynamic street lighting and sound may decrease FOC. In Study 2, we applied an adapted ‘watching eyes’ intervention and examined how it may inadvertently increase FOC in a neighborhood. In Study 1 the intervention did not affect feelings of safety. In Study 2, the ‘watching eyes’ intervention indirectly increased FOC via feelings of being watched. In the Discussion, we highlight the importance of better understanding the boundary conditions of such environmental interventions.