Fear of crime is when people believe they are more likely to be a victim of a crime as opposed to the probability of being victimized. This perception of crime is generally influenced by the media as it is the main source for knowing what is happening around us (Roberts & Indermaur, figure 4, page 9). According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the rate for has decreased over the years, however according to the survey in Roberts & Indermaur majority of respondents believed that the rate of crime in the sociality has increased. This is due to the information received to the public though media. Media tends to display the four major categories of crime (homicide and related offences, kidnapping and abductions, unlawful entry with intent, motor vehicle theft and other theft) excessively as these types of crime are more dramatic and gains public’s awareness therefore portraying a higher risk of crime when in reality it’s the opposite. Minor crimes such as robbery and blackmail/extortion or even success stories are usually either ignored or not as widely exposed. …show more content…
This has a huge effect on elderly person’s perception on crime as it significantly increases the fear of crime of this group. A great example of this is in the article, “Grandmother, 82, critical after vicious attack”, it also shows a computer based image of the offender. The images are usually the first thing people look followed by the heading before deciding whether to read the rest of the article. This article doesn’t only attract elderly women; it also attracts any grandchildren that have a grandmother living by herself, just like the victim. Due to this elderly live in fear of being victimized therefore their perception of crime rate becomes more inaccurate as the emotional feelings take over the