This paper attempts to answer the following question: "What type of people are likely to perceive the risk of crime victimization, and why?"
Empirical research on the fear of crime in the West, which began in the 1960s, indicates that women, old people, and lower socio-economic groups have a tendency to perceive the risk of crime. Researchers have attributed the tendency in these groups to their physical and social vulnerability. In order to find out whether we can apply the results of the research conducted in the West to Japanese society, we compare the determinants of the perceived risk of crime in Japan with those of the perceived risk of crime in the United States. This comparison is conducted by analyzing the data of General Social Surveys (GSS) and Japanese General Social Surveys (JGSS) held in 2000.
The findings reveal that in the United States, women, old people, and low-income groups are more likely to perceive the risk of crime; this perception can be attributed to their physical and social vulnerability. On the other hand, in Japan, it was found that young women, men having young children, and white-collar or highly educated women are more likely to perceive the risk of crime. However, their risk perception cannot be explained by physical and social vulnerability. This paper illustrates the unique factors underlying the perceived risk of crime in Japan: fear of sexual crime, vulnerability of the significant other, differences in the wording of GSS and JGSS, opportunities of walking alone at night, and the role of the media.