Running head: LITERATURE REVIEW 1

LITERATURE REVIEW

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Literature Review

The consequences of victimization

Studies suggest that fear of crime and victimization are correlated to each other.

Victimization is one of the major contributing factors to the fear of crime in many people (Singer

et al., 2018). Notably, fear of crime is determined by the nature of victimization. Studies reveal

that those experiencing household victimization are more likely to develop a fear of crime.

Remarkably, a vast number of individuals who report victimization often feel unsafe both at their

homes and in the neighborhood. As a result, this increases fear of crime amongst such

individuals.

Nevertheless, other studies suggest that diffuse anxiety from social issues may subject an

individual to fear of crime. Some resolved issues such as financial conditions in relation to the

crime may also increase fear of crime in a person (Singer et al., 2018). Nonetheless, the racial

threat has a substantial impact on an individual’s life, increasing the fear of crime in a person.

Undoubtedly, victimization can create emotional pressure in one’s life, thus causing fear of

crime in them. Amongst the juvenile, victimization such as feeling threatened or family socio-

economic issues can make a child a subject of fear of crime.

Studies also suggest that individuals with high punitive attitudes are more likely to

experience high fear of crime. Fear of crime imposes high punitive on both men and women;

however, punitive attitude is more prevalent in women than men (Singer et al., 2018). as such,

fear of crime can determine the punitive attitude in various justice practices. Incredibly, the

concept of the punitive due to fear of crime can be used by the judicial service to monitor and

possibly residue crimes amongst the juveniles.

Restorative justice for juveniles

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The primary aim of restorative justice for juveniles is to repair most of the harms caused

by criminal behaviors amongst the children. According to Suzuki and Wood (2018), the essence

of the services is to bring together the youths most affected by illegal activities. Notably, this

emerged recently due to fear of a rise in the crime rate amongst the children. Thus, fixing such

behaviors can help lower the harm's impacts due to such behaviors. Suzuki and Wood (2018)

assert that restorative juvenile programs involve enrolling the youths into correctional programs

that can help them transform their behaviors. Incredibly, this has helped lower the crime rate

amongst the children significantly. Some of the services offered in such programs include;

dialogue with juvenile-involved or actions to repair the harm caused by the juveniles. Such

measures could include paying fines, writing apology letters, or participating in community

services. A study by Suzuki and Wood (2018) suggests that such services help youth develop

positive behavior, which eventually helps them transform positively, thus lowering juvenile

cases. Significantly, restorative juvenile justice has helped reduce the fear of crime amongst

juveniles and society. Owing to this, it helps to shape the juniors into socially responsible people

with minimal thoughts of committing crimes. As such, restorative justice in the juvenile can help

to reduce the fear of crime amongst children and adolescents.

Environmental factors and fear of crime

A study by Valente and Vacchiano (2021) suggests that environmental factors contribute

primarily to youth crime. The kind of environment that a person is exposed to in their childhood

determines their likelihood of committing a crime. Early exposure to physical violence and abuse

makes a child more likely to engage in various criminal activities. Further studies suggest that

exposure to violence increases violent behavior amongst adolescents. A major driving factor is

the lack of interpersonal skills amongst such children (Valente & Vacchiano, 2021). Notably,
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most children with early exposure to violence lack parental teaching and guidance, which are

essential in developing positive social skills. As a result, they grow to be violent, which accounts

for the high crime rate amongst such adolescents.

The external environment also contributes significantly to increasing the crime rate

amongst juveniles. The external environment consists of the neighbors and the community where

a child lives (Valente & Vacchiano, 2021). A community with a high number of gangs increases

exposure to violence, thus increasing juvenile crime cases. Also, when a child lives in an

environment where neighbors lack moral standards, they are more likely to be exposed to

violence. Nonetheless, other studies suggest that living in a community with high numbers of

minorities and people living with poverty increases fear o crime. Such communities often report

high juvenile cases compared to the latter.

Development of delinquency

According to Biswal (2020), involvement in delinquency increases the chances of

committing crime amongst juveniles. Notably, most juvenile crime offenders have a history of

involvement in delinquent behaviors. It is believed that the development of delinquent behaviors

amongst children can increase fear of crime amongst juveniles. Studies suggest that social factors

are one of the major contributors to developing delinquency in children. Biswal (2020) means

that how children interact and relate with their family members and peers determines antisocial

behavior development. If children experience poor interaction with people around them, they are

more likely to develop negative social behavior, exposing them to crime.

Deles and Sarp (2021) suggest that FamilyFamily substantially impacts a child's behavior

and future life. It, therefore, determines their likelihood to develop delinquent behavior and

involve crime. Parents are obliged to teach children acceptable behavior; failure to meet this
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obligation exposes a child to antisocial behavior. On the other hand, family structure contributes

vastly to development delinquency, which in turn increases fear of crime amongst the juvenile. A

study by Deles and Sarp (2021) revealed that children raised by single parents are more likely to

develop delinquent behaviors than those raised by both parents. Owing to that, single parents

find it difficult to supervise their children effectively as they are occupied by other activities such

as jobs. Nevertheless, single parents may lack all the resources a child may need for their

development. As a result, this may lead to depression, thus exposing a child to delinquent

behaviors.

Biswal (202) asserts that a vast majority of children living with single parents experience

yet they have poor emotional management strategies due to a lack of practical interpersonal

skills. Notably, this makes them more vulnerable to juvenile cases. If there is a positive

interaction in the FamilyFamily, then a child is more likely to develop positive social behavior,

making them less likely to create delinquency (Biswal, 2020). However, if the interaction

between the family member is positive, children are more likely to develop positive social

behavior. Incredibly, this limits a child’s exposure to violence. The development of delinquency

amongst the juveniles accounts for the high fear of crime amongst the children and adolescents.

References
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Singer, A. J., Chouhy, C., Lehmann, P. S., Walzak, J. N., Gertz, M., & Biglin, S. (2019).

Victimization, fear of crime, and trust in criminal justice institutions: A cross-national

analysis. Crime & Delinquency, 65(6), 822-844.

Suzuki, M., & Wood, W. R. (2018). Is restorative justice conferencing appropriate for youth

offenders?. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 18(4), 450-467.

Valente, R., & Vacchiano, M. (2021). Determinants of the Fear of Crime in Argentina and

Brazil: A Cross-Country Comparison of Non-Criminal and Environmental Factors

Affecting Feelings of Insecurity. Social Indicators Research, 154(3), 1077-1096.

Biswal, R. K. (2020). Exploring Parental Risk Factors in the Development of Delinquency

Among Children. Mishra, E. & Biswal, 141-148.

Deles, B., & Sarp, N. (2021). Investigation of the correlation between childhood trauma,

psychological well-being, and altruistic fear of crime of mothers with children aged three

to six years. Research in Pedagogy, 11(1), 124-136.