Date of Award
Fall 2004
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Social and Cultural Sciences
First Advisor
Zevitz, Richard
Second Advisor
Ruff, Julius
Third Advisor
Moberg, David
Abstract
The topic of fear of crime is an important issue to explore for the criminal justice field. It represents a quality of life issue that can, at the very least, encumber people who find themselves experiencing fear on a regular basis. In addition, knowing people who allow fear to guide their lives was also a partial consideration in the development of this dissertation. It was for these basic reasons that I decided to commit such a considerable amount of time and energy toward understanding its scope. This study took place utilizing telephone survey research; only Milwaukee County residents were contacted and included in the study. The research itself moved relatively quickly, while the development of the interviewing schedule, phone number preparation, and analysis took so much longer. In this study, my greatest desire has and continues to be a sincere concern and commitment to understanding how fear reaches into people's lives and to what extent it influences their quality of life.