Fear of Crime—Chicago Youth Development Study

Abstract

The Chicago Youth Development Study (CYDS) Fear of Crime instrument is a specialized psychological scale developed to assess the perceived threat of crime and the resulting behavioral modifications among young people residing in high-risk urban environments. Developed as a core component of the longitudinal CYDS research, the instrument systematically measures two primary dimensions: the subjective level of fear concerning potential victimization (specifically attack or robbery) in various settings, and the specific coping mechanisms or precautionary behaviors adopted by the respondent to mitigate this perceived risk. Furthermore, the scale includes supplementary items that assess the presence of firearms within the home, thereby providing a holistic measure of environmental threat perception and active defense strategies utilized by the youth population.

Keywords

Fear of Crime, Youth Development, Chicago Youth Development Study, Delinquency, Violence Exposure, Coping Mechanisms, Crime Prevention, Urban Settings, Longitudinal Study, Victimization Risk

Authors

Gorman-Smith D., Tolan P.H., Henry D.B.

Purpose

The core purpose of this instrument is to provide a systematic and quantitative measure of how young people perceive their risk of victimization and how these perceptions translate into behavioral adjustments. It functions as a critical metric within studies investigating the detrimental effects of chronic exposure to community violence on the psychological well-being and developmental trajectories of adolescents, especially regarding outcomes such as delinquency and mental health issues. By clearly distinguishing between generalized anxiety about safety and specific, actionable avoidance behaviors, the scale allows researchers to understand the functional impact of the Fear of Crime (FOC) construct on daily routines, social engagement, and spatial mobility within the youth’s immediate neighborhood.

Structurally, the scale is designed to yield two main composite scores. The first score reflects the overall subjective fear level (derived from Items 1–4), while the second is the mean score of the proactive or reactive measures taken to cope with that fear (Items 5–10). Items 11–13 are treated as distinct categorical variables, offering essential context regarding the presence of firearms and the overall security environment within the respondent’s household.

Construct

The Fear of Crime—CYDS scale measures a complex, multifaceted psychological construct that integrates both affective (emotional) and behavioral components of crime perception. The affective component captures the intensity of subjective fear related to specific acts of violent crime (attack or robbery) across four distinct contexts: at home, on the street during the day, and alone or with others at night. This specificity enhances the utility of the measure compared to generalized fear assessments.

The behavioral component, termed “Measures Taken To Cope with Fear of Crime,” assesses concrete actions undertaken to mitigate perceived risk. These actions span a spectrum from passive avoidance strategies, such as limiting movement (e.g., restricting shopping, work, or solo travel), to active security implementations, including installing security systems, purchasing weapons, or even moving residence. The instrument is grounded in the understanding that FOC acts as a powerful social determinant that influences decision-making and limits opportunities for youth in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. The coping measures assessed reflect either adaptive or potentially maladaptive strategies (like acquiring weapons) deployed in response to a perceived threatening ecological setting, consistent with the developmental-ecological framework used by the original researchers.

Validity

Although detailed psychometric coefficients (such as criterion or convergent validity indices) are typically found in the primary journal articles utilizing the scale, the instrument clearly demonstrates strong face validity. This strength stems from its direct and explicit assessment of perceived victimization risk and subsequent coping behaviors that are highly relevant to youth living in environments characterized by high rates of crime and violence. The scale items target common, salient scenarios where fear is most pronounced (e.g., safety at home, alone at night).

Within the extensive framework of the Chicago Youth Development Study, the scale’s validity has been robustly established through its significant predictive ability. Research, such as the foundational work by Gorman-Smith, Tolan, and Henry (2000), has shown that FOC scores predict subsequent negative outcomes, including involvement in delinquency, substance abuse, and other psychological consequences associated with chronic exposure to community violence and stress.

Reliability

The reliability of the Fear of Crime—CYDS scale is typically reported in foundational research papers, particularly those found in journals like the Journal of Quantitative Criminology. Given its prominent role as an established measure within a major, long-term longitudinal study, the scale is expected to demonstrate adequate internal consistency for both of its primary subscales: the subjective Fear subscale (Items 1–4) and the behavioral Coping subscale (Items 5–10). Specific measures, such as Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients, should be referenced directly in the original 2000 publication by Gorman-Smith, Tolan, and Henry, which established the coefficients for the specific youth population sampled in Chicago.

Factor Analysis

While the compendium entry does not provide detailed statistical results from factor analysis, the clear separation in the scoring instructions strongly implies a confirmed two-factor structure. The first factor represents the affective domain: the subjective assessment of Fear of Crime (Items 1–4). The second factor represents the behavioral domain: the assessment of Coping Mechanisms (Items 5–10). This structure confirms that the emotional experience of fear is measured independently from the concrete, proactive or reactive actions taken in response to that fear. Items 11–13, relating to household firearm ownership, function as separate contextual indicators and are not integrated into the core psychometric factor structure.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychological Scale

Format: Mixed response format. Items 1–4 utilize a 4-point Likert scale, while Items 5–13 use a dichotomous (Yes/No) response format.

Language Available: English (Original administration language)

Population Group: Youth / Adolescents

Age Group: Typically administered to adolescents and young adults (e.g., 10 to 18 years old) participating in longitudinal studies of youth development.

Population Details: Primarily utilized with urban youth residing in high-risk, high-crime neighborhoods, often within a longitudinal study design focused on violence exposure and delinquency.

Test Methodology: Responses are scored differently based on the item group. Items 1–4 use a range of 1 (Not fearful) to 4 (Very fearful), with the final score being the mean of these items. Items 5–13 use dichotomous scoring (No=0, Yes=1). Subscales are calculated as mean scores to facilitate comparison across cohorts and time points.

Keywords

Adolescent development, Urban violence, Victimization fear, Community risk, Delinquency prediction, Gun ownership, Security behaviors, Fear of Crime, Ecological model, Protective factors

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source materials.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source materials.

Correspondence Address: Refer to the corresponding author (Gorman-Smith D., Tolan P.H., or Henry D.B.) of the 2000 publication for the most accurate contact information at the time of publication.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: Usage for the Fear of Crime—CYDS scale is generally permissible for non-commercial academic research, provided that researchers provide appropriate citation to the primary source publication (Gorman-Smith et al., 2000). Researchers must confirm specific usage rights directly with the primary authors or their affiliated academic institutions before deployment.

Fee: The instrument is typically available free of charge for non-commercial academic research purposes.

Test Year: The scale was developed and utilized within research published around 2000, originating from the ongoing data collection of the Chicago Youth Development Study.

Reference’s

The foundational academic reference utilizing and detailing this scale is:

• Gorman-Smith D, Tolan PH, Henry DB. A developmental-ecological model of the relation of family functioning to patterns of delinquency. Journal of Quantitative Criminology 2000;16:169-198.

The instrument itself can be reviewed in the CDC compendium of assessment tools. The original PDF containing the scale details can be downloaded here: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/YV_Compendium.pdf (pages 341-342).

Items of the Fear of Crime—Chicago Youth Development Study

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

How afraid are you of being attacked or robbed …

1. At home in your house or apartment?
2. On the streets of your neighborhood during the day?
3. Out alone at night in your neighborhood?
4. Out with other people at night in your neighborhood?

Has a fear of crime caused you to…

5. Limit the places or the times that you go shopping?
6. Limit the places or the times that you will work?
7. Limit the places that you will go by yourself?
8. Purchase a weapon for self-protection?
9. Install a home security system or install protective devices such as bars on the windows‚ buzzers on windows and/or doors‚ etc.?
10. Move to a different place to live?
11. Do you have a rifle in your home?
12. Do you have a shotgun in your home?
13. Do you have a handgun in your home?

Scoring Information:

• Items 1-4 (Fear of Crime): Not fearful=1‚ A little fearful=2‚ Somewhat fearful=3‚ Very fearful=4. The mean score of items 1, 2, 3, and 4 is computed.
• Items 5-10 (Coping Measures): No=0‚ Yes=1. The mean score of items 5 through 10 is computed.
• Items 11-13 (Firearm Ownership): No=0‚ Yes=1. These items are typically retained to assess firearm ownership status.