Examining Personal Security and Avoidance Measures in a 12-City Sample

Abstract

Existing research has recognized the multidimensional nature of self-protective behaviors. Using secondary data collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, this study examined the predictive ability of measures related to policing, lifestyles, victimization, neighborhood conditions, and demographic characteristics in explaining six types of protective behavior. Results suggest that factors such as awareness of community policing, satisfaction with police, perceptions of disorder, and sex are consistently related to protective measures, whereas the influence of other factors (e.g., personal victimization, race) varies according to the behavior analyzed.