Araştırma Makalesi

Fear of Crime in Traffic: An Analysis of Gender-Based Perceptual Differences in the Case of İzmir

Cilt: 22 Sayı: 5 30 Eylül 2025
Mehmet Demirbaş , Ozan Kavsıracı *, Abdullah Çelik , Niyazi Umut Akıncıoğlu , Hasan Sencer Peker
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Fear of Crime in Traffic: An Analysis of Gender-Based Perceptual Differences in the Case of İzmir

Abstract

This study examines gender differences in fear of crime within traffic settings. To address the scarcity of traffic-specific research, we developed a 26-item Fear of Crime in Traffic Scale and surveyed 1,505 active drivers in İzmir (768 women; 737 men) using purposive and quota sampling. Exploratory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure—Perceived Individual Insecurity in Traffic, Fear Related to Vehicle Types, and Spatio-Temporal Perceptions of Safety—explaining 79.19% of the variance (KMO = .973; Bartlett p < .001). Reliability was high for the total scale (α = .96) and strong across subdimensions (α = .95, .90, .88). Given non-normal distributions, gender comparisons employed Mann–Whitney U tests. No significant gender differences emerged for Perceived Individual Insecurity (U = 271,314, z = −1.388, p = .165) or Spatio-Temporal Perceptions of Safety (U = 273,649, z = −1.118, p = .265). However, men scored higher on Fear Related to Vehicle Types (U = 250,234, z = −3.919, p < .001, r = .101). Item-level patterns indicate women report greater concern about sexual harassment and verbal abuse, while men report higher concerns tied to public/heavy vehicles and the perceived effectiveness of enforcement. These results nuance the gender–fear literature by showing that, in “mobile public spaces” like traffic, gendered threat perceptions vary by subdimension. The findings inform transportation safety by highlighting the need for gender-sensitive interventions that address both interpersonal risks and vehicle/structural risks.

Keywords

Fear of Crime , Gender , Traffic Safety , Driver Perception , Scale Development

Kaynakça

  1. Ceccato, V., & Loukaitou-Sideris, A. (Eds.). (2020). Transit crime and sexual violence in cities: International evidence and prevention. Routledge.
  2. Ceccato, V., & Newton, A. (Eds.). (2015). Safety and security in transit environments: An interdisciplinary approach. Palgrave Macmillan.
  3. Ditton, J., & Farrall, S. (2000). The fear of crime. In T. Hope & R. Sparks (Eds.), Crime, risk and insecurity (pp. 202–213). Routledge.
  4. Farrall, S., Bannister, J., Ditton, J., & Gilchrist, E. (1997). Questioning the measurement of the “fear of crime”: Findings from a major methodological study. British Journal of Criminology, 37(4), 658–679. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.bjc.a014203
  5. Ferraro, K. F. (1996). Women's fear of victimization: Shadow of sexual assault? Social Forces, 75(2), 667–690. https://doi.org/10.2307/2580418
  6. Ferraro, K. F., & LaGrange, R. (1987). The measurement of fear of crime. Sociological Inquiry, 57(1), 70–101. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-682X.1987.tb01181.x
  7. Gilchrist, E., Bannister, J., Ditton, J., & Farrall, S. (1998). Women and the “fear of crime”: Challenging the accepted stereotype. The British Journal of Criminology, 38(2), 283–298.
  8. Hale, C. (1996). Fear of crime: A review of the literature. International Review of Victimology, 4(2), 79–150. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269758096-00400201
  9. Innes, M. (2004). Signal crimes and signal disorders: Notes on deviance as communicative action. British Journal of Sociology, 55(3), 335–355. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-4446.2004.-00023.x
  10. Loukaitou-Sideris, A. (2006). Is it safe to walk? Neighborhood safety and security considerations and their effects on walking. Journal of Planning Literature, 20(3), 219–232. https://doi.org/10.1177/0885412205282770

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

Adli Sosyal Bilimler

Bölüm

Araştırma Makalesi

Yazarlar

Erken Görünüm Tarihi

28 Eylül 2025

Yayımlanma Tarihi

30 Eylül 2025

Gönderilme Tarihi

14 Temmuz 2025

Kabul Tarihi

22 Eylül 2025

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2025 Cilt: 22 Sayı: 5

DOI

https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1741867

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA34HX23BL

Kaynak Göster

RIS / Bibtex
APA
Demirbaş, M., Kavsıracı, O., Çelik, A., Akıncıoğlu, N. U., & Peker, H. S. (2025). Fear of Crime in Traffic: An Analysis of Gender-Based Perceptual Differences in the Case of İzmir. OPUS Journal of Society Research, 22(5), 1133-1145. https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1741867

Cited By

Akıllı şehirlerde önleyici güvenlik: Sensör ağları ve CCTV’nin etkinliği üzerine nitel bir değerlendirme

İDEALKENT

https://doi.org/10.31198/idealkent.1766696