Perceptions of Crime and the Fear of Crime

Public safety governance cannot be based on police statistics alone since police crime statistics provide only a limited insight into the nature of crime and violence against women and girls. This is not a uniquely South African problem. The same is true of all police data around the world. For a range of reasons, a lot of crime and violence is never reported to police. One key reason is related to the perceptions of crime and the fear of crime. This limits the use of relying on police statistics alone to develop interventions to improve public safety and consequently eliminate gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). Fortunately, complementary methods for understanding crime and violence exist. On such method is the Victim of Crime Surveys. These surveys assess the fear of crime. This is crucial as the perceptions and fear of crime is a very important phenomenon. It constrains behavior and lifestyles, increases anxiety, decreases social engagement, and increases the cost of criminal justice and security measures. It consequently impacts the quality of a person’s life. The statistical and other evidence provided in this chapter will potentially assist policymakers, law enforcement agencies and civil society to gauge progress and plan interventions for protecting women and girls and end GBV. As many factors influence citizens perceptions and attitudes towards crime in the country, the chapter concludes by looking specifically at the criminal justice’s response to GBVF.