The article states that as crime rates go down, so does the number of people afraid to walk alone at night however the crime rate has fallen much steeper than the fear rate. Even though the crime rate is the lowest in recent history, the fear of walking alone rate has not followed it al the way down. Personally I think that this means that no matter how little crime there is, there will always be a certain percentage of people that will be afraid.
Another idea of "Perilous Times" is that maybe times are more perilous for a certain gender. Check out this table from the same article:
The percentage of women who are more afraid of walking alone at night is more than double that of men. However, I could definitely be wrong, saying that times could be more perilous for a certain gender. Women are generally smaller and not as physically strong as men so I can see how a larger number of women would be scared of walking alone at night. What do you think?
It makes sense that people would be afraid at night. However, it would be very interesting to see the whole geographical and demographical layout of this study. Are people who walk in the suburbs more likely to be afraid than those in the city? What races are more likely to be afraid at night? What sections of town are they afraid in? I probably would be more afraid in the dingy sections of a city than the burbs like out here. Also, I think there is a connotation of the dark that something or someone with bad intentions lives in the shadows. I think the basis of this (ir)rational fear is a very interesting subject for further research.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that "women are generally smaller and not as physically strong as men". However, I think that the main reason that women are more afraid is not their physical size, but rather the fact that women are considered more valuable and vulnerable. Attacking a man produces very little for the attacker, while attacking a woman can give the attacker what he wants, be it money, or rape, or something else.
ReplyDeleteI think another factor that influences this, like David said, is where you live. You said 4 in 10 seemed like a very high number to you but we live in one of the nicest, safest places in America. I have no fear of walking alone at night here. However my family and I went to Savannah for thanksgiving this weekend, and I was scared walking around in parts of Savannah during the day. Around here we don't have leering drunk men on street corners day and night, begging. I also agree with Liesel that women get attacked more because they are more vulnerable. I needed to walk with my dad, or my older (male) cousins to feel safe.
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