Book Review: Fear of crime in the United States: Causes, consequences, and contradictions

• Author: Tabetha Griffis Bennett
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016814568553
• Published date: 01 June 2015
• Date: 01 June 2015
• Subject Matter: Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Criminal Justice Review
2015, Vol. 40(2) 230-243
Book Reviews
ª 2015 Georgia State University
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Lane, J., Rader, N. E., Henson, B., Fisher, B. S., & May, D. C. (2014).
Fear of crime in the United States: Causes, consequences, and contradictions. Durham: Carolina Academic Press, xiv,
272 pp. $35.00, ISBN: 978-1-61163-066-4.
Reviewed by: Tabetha Griffis Bennett, MSPSE, Jamestown, NC, USA
DOI: 10.1177/0734016814568553
Fear has a tendency to dictate our lives. Being afraid of something may limit the way that we interact
with others or the activities we choose to take part in. In extreme instances, phobias may lead to
declining or nonexistent socialization all the way up to reclusive living resulting from irrational fear.
For example, agoraphobia, or the fear of crowded places, may result in the sufferer being unable to
complete a task as simple as going to the grocery store. If a single emotion has that kind of power
over humanity, there is no doubting its import to society. However, general researching fear could be
examining fear of crime narrows the lens somewhat. Fear of Crime in the United States: Causes,
Consequences, and Contradictions by Jodi Lane, Nicole E. Rader, Billy Henson, Bonnie S. Fisher,
and David C. May attempts to provide a broad look at current research, examine measurements and
methodologies, and identify gaps that need further study within fear of crime research.
This group of authors provides a rainbow of experts in fear of crime research. Among Lane’s
extensive list of writing accomplishments, including studying victimization, juvenile delin-
quency, and corrections, fear of crime research shows throughout the years leading up to this
publication. Rader boasts many peer-reviewed journal articles with a good deal of research on
fear of crime and specific attention paid to gender-related issues. Henson’s resume shows an
interest in fear of crime with respect to online...