Determinants of fear of crime in Brazil: the effect of social cohesion

While some studies suggest that the nature of one's interactions with the community influences one's perceived risk of criminal victimization, only a few pieces of research have tested this association in Brazil. Using four previously existing Brazilian victimization surveys, we conducted logistic models to examine whether social ties and social cohesion are associated with perceived risk and fear of crime. The results showed that only in some contexts did social cohesion manifest an association with fear of crime. Specifically, two components of social cohesion may be relevant for this purpose: trusting neighbours and getting help; and the ability to distinguish neighbours from strangers in the street.

Keywords:
Fear of crime; Social cohesion; Victimization; Crime; Feeling of insecurity

	Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro										State of Mato Grosso										Metropolitan Region of Goiania					City of Belo Horizonte
	During the day					During the night					During the day					During the night					During the night					During the day					During the night
	Descriptive Analysis (% or Average)			Odds Ratio		Descriptive Analysis (% or Average)			Odds Ratio		Descriptive Analysis (% or Average)			Odds Ratio		Descriptive Analysis (% or Average)			Odds Ratio		Descriptive Analysis (% or Average)			Odds Ratio		Descriptive Analysis (% or Average)			Odds Ratio		Descriptive Analysis (% or Average)			Odds Ratio
	Safe	Unsafe	Total			Safe	Unsafe	Total			Safe	Unsafe	Total			Safe	Unsafe	Total			Safe	Unsafe	Total			Safe	Unsafe	Total			Safe	Unsafe	Total
(Intercept)				0,17	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;				1,03					0,1	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;				0,26	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;				5,08	^ P-vaLor <0.010;				0,45		Safe			1,65
Female	74,2%	25,8%	100,0%	1,28	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	44,9%	55,1%	100,0%	1,45	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	84,2%	15,8%	100,0%	1,36	^ P-vaLor <0.010;	66,4%	33,6%	100,0%	1,52	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	20,7%	79,3%	100,0%	2,74	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	43,6%	56,4%	100,0%	1,82	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	10,6%	89,4%	100,0%	2,51	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;
Male	77,3%	22,7%	100,0%	1		50,9%	49,1%	100,0%	1		88,6%	11,4%	100,0%	1		76,8%	23,2%	100,0%	1		39,9%	60,1%	100,0%	1		57,7%	42,3%	100,0%	1		22,3%	77,7%	100,0%	1
Age	43,2	43,7	43,3	1		42,1	41,6	41,8	1		47,2	49,3	47,5	1		47,4	47,4	47,4	1		38,6	40,3	39,8	1,01	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	39,5	39,9	39,7	1,01	^ P-vaLor <0.010;	39,3	39,8	39,8	1
Complete higher education	64,6%	35,4%	100,0%	2,13	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	36,6%	63,4%	100,0%	1,88	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	87,8%	12,2%	100,0%	0,71		68,6%	31,4%	100,0%	0,98		32,8%	67,2%	100,0%	1,05		51,1%	48,9%	100,0%	1,3		12,2%	87,8%	100,0%	2,68	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;
Complete high school	75,1%	24,9%	100,0%	1,75	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	43,8%	56,2%	100,0%	1,55	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	85,1%	14,9%	100,0%	0,91		70,1%	29,9%	100,0%	0,99		30,8%	69,3%	100,0%	1,22		48,0%	52,0%	100,0%	1,51		14,8%	85,2%	100,0%	2,19	^ P-vaLor <0.010;
Complete elementary school	78,4%	21,6%	100,0%	1,53	^* * P-vaLor < 0.050	49,5%	50,5%	100,0%	1,11		86,9%	13,1%	100,0%	0,74		70,6%	29,4%	100,0%	1,02		31,0%	69,0%	100,0%	1,25		50,5%	49,5%	100,0%	1,42		15,5%	84,5%	100,0%	2,12	^ P-vaLor <0.010;
Incomplete elementary school	74,7%	25,3%	100,0%	1,61	^ P-vaLor <0.010;	52,3%	47,7%	100,0%	1,05		86,3%	13,7%	100,0%	0,76		71,1%	28,9%	100,0%	0,99		25,0%	75,0%	100,0%	1,61		50,8%	49,2%	100,0%	1,33		17,3%	82,7%	100,0%	1,76	^* * P-vaLor < 0.050
Illiterate	85,3%	14,7%	100,0%	1		55,8%	44,2%	100,0%	1		84,1%	15,9%	100,0%	1		73,1%	26,9%	100,0%	1		27,9%	72,1%	100,0%	1		55,2%	44,8%	100,0%	1		24,1%	75,9%	100,0%	1
Victimised	71,5%	28,5%	100,0%	1,33	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	38,3%	61,7%	100,0%	1,55	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	81,7%	18,3%	100,0%	1,63	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	61,4%	38,6%	100,0%	1,78	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	28,0%	72,0%	100,0%	1,1		37,2%	47,9%	85,2%	1,34	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	13,0%	87,0%	100,0%	1,34	^ P-vaLor <0.010;
Not Victimised	78,1%	21,9%	100,0%	1		53,3%	46,7%	100,0%	1		87,5%	12,5%	100,0%	1		73,9%	26,1%	100,0%	1		30,0%	70,0%	100,0%	1		46,5%	42,6%	89,1%	1		17,1%	82,9%	100,0%	1
Does not attend street parties/events organized by neighbours	75,5%	24,5%	100,0%	1,14		47,5%	52,5%	100,0%	1,1
Attends street parties/events organized by neighbours	76,0%	24,0%	100,0%	1		48,1%	51,9%	100,0%	1
Does not attend religious activities other than mass/cult Attends religious activities other than mass/cult	75,0%	25,0%	100,0%	1,03		47,9%	52,1%	100,0%	1
Attends religious activities other than mass/cult	77,1%	22,9%	100,0%	1		47,2%	52,8%	100,0%	1
Does not attend meetings of associations, political parties or unions	75,5%	24,5%	100,0%	0,99		50,6%	55,0%	105,5%	1,04
Attends meetings of associations, political parties or unions	77,2%	22,8%	100,0%	1		44,8%	53,5%	98,4%	1
Does not participate in community activities to build houses, clean streets, etc.	75,6%	24,4%	100,0%	0,76	^* * P-vaLor < 0.050	47,7%	52,3%	100,0%	0,75	^* * P-vaLor < 0.050
Participates in community activities to build houses, clean streets, etc.	76,5%	23,5%	100,0%	1		47,7%	52,3%	100,0%	1
Does not meet friends in bars, clubs, cafes and soccer fields	75,4%	24,6%	100,0%	1,19		49,0%	51,0%	100,0%	1,01
Meets friends in bars, clubs, cafes and soccer fields	76,1%	23,9%	100,0%	1		45,9%	54,1%	100,0%	1
Does not talk with neighbours/acquaintances in the streets	75,3%	24,7%	100,0%	0,96		46,8%	53,2%	100,0%	0,93
Talks with neighbours/acquaintances in the streets	75,8%	24,2%	100,0%	1		47,9%	52,1%	100,0%	1
Has lived over 3 years in the neighbourhood	75,1%	24,9%	100,0%	1,09		48,0%	52,0%	100,0%	0,8		86,2%	13,8%	100,0%	1,22		71,3%	28,7%	100,0%	0,95		30,1%	69,9%	100,0%	0,64	^* * P-vaLor < 0.050	51,8%	48,2%	100,0%	0,87		15,8%	84,2%	100,0%	1,02
Has lived 1-3 years in the neighbourhood	76,5%	23,5%	100,0%	1,14		45,3%	54,7%	100,0%	1,04		85,0%	15,0%	100,0%	1,14		70,5%	29,5%	100,0%	0,91		29,5%	70,5%	100,0%	0,75		52,2%	47,8%	100,0%	0,88		18,8%	81,2%	100,0%	0,79	^* * P-vaLor < 0.050
Has lived less than 1 year in the neighbourhood	79,3%	20,7%	100,0%	1		46,8%	53,2%	100,0%	1		86,1%	13,9%	100,0%	1		68,4%	31,6%	100,0%	1		25,5%	74,5%	100,0%	1		47,7%	52,3%	100,0%	1		13,7%	86,3%	100,0%	1
Very rarely talks to neighbours (less than once a week)																										48,6%	51,4%	100,0%	1,06		14,1%	85,9%	100,0%	1,11
Regularly talks to neighbours (at least once a week)																										51,1%	48,9%	100,0%	1		17,2%	82,8%	100,0%	1
Never talks to neighbours																					27,3%	72,7%	100,0%	1,22
Talks to neighbours (“daily’, “frequently’ or ‘rarely’)																					29,8%	70,2%	100,0%	1
Very rarely exchanges pleasantries with neighbours (less than once a week)																										50,3%	49,7%	100,0%	0,87		14,9%	85,1%	100,0%	1,22
Regularly exchanges pleasantries with neighbours (less than once a week)																										49,4%	50,6%	100,0%	1		17,9%	82,1%	100,0%	1
Neighbours seldom quarrel with one another (rarely’ or ‘never’)																										50,2%	49,8%	100,0%	0,83		16,2%	83,8%	100,0%	0,84
Neighbours often quarrel with one another (‘frequently’ or ‘sometimes’)																										51,3%	48,7%	100,0%	1		16,9%	83,1%	100,0%	1
Cannot distinguish neighbours from nonneighbours in the street																										46,1%	53,9%	100,0%	1,2		13,0%	87,0%	100,0%	1,22
Can distinguish neighbours from non-neighbours in the street																										51,9%	48,1%	100,0%	1		17,4%	82,6%	100,0%	1
Does not trust any neighbour	73,7%	26,3%	100,0%	1,2		41,8%	58,2%	100,0%	1,2		80,3%	19,7%	100,0%	1,69		65,3%	34,7%	100,0%	1,3	^* * P-vaLor < 0.050
Trusts at least some neighbours (‘some’ or ‘most’)	75,8%	24,2%	100,0%	1		49,1%	50,9%	100,0%	1		87,6%	12,4%	100,0%	1		72,0%	28,0%	100,0%	1
Index - Degree in which can count on neighbours for	4,5	4,0	4,4	0,94	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	4,7	4,0	4,3	0,91	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	4,4	4,0	4,4	0,99		4,5	4,2	4,4	0,97
Index - Degree in which neighbours actually ask for help	3,0	3,0	3,0	1,04	^* * P-vaLor < 0.050	3,0	3,0	3,0	1,06	^* ***** P-vaLor <0.001;	2,7	2,6	2,7	1,01		2,7	2,8	2,7	1,04	^* * P-vaLor < 0.050
There are no strangers walking in the neighbourhood																					36,3%	63,7%	100,0%	0,69	^ P-vaLor <0.010;
There are strangers walking in the neighbourhood																					26,1%	73,9%	100,0%	1
People never fight or insult each other on the streets of your neighbourhood																					34,6%	65,4%	100,0%	0,68	^* * P-vaLor < 0.050
your neighbourhood People fight or insult each other on the streets of your neighbourhood (‘frequently’ or ‘rarely’)																					23,9%	76,1%	100,0%	1
There are never rude/uncivilised people in your neighbourhood																					33,3%	66,7%	100,0%	0,85
There are rude/uncivilised people in your neighbourhood (‘frequently’ or ‘rarely’)																					25,2%	74,8%	100,0%	1
There is never trouble between people at bus-stops in your neighbourhood																					32,3%	67,7%	100,0%	0,78	^* * P-vaLor < 0.050
There is trouble between people at bus-stops in your neighbourhood (‘frequently’ or ‘rarely’)																					24,2%	75,8%	100,0%	1
There is never excessive noise on the streets of your neighbourhood																					34,1%	65,9%	100,0%	0,79	^* * P-vaLor < 0.050
There is excessive noise on the streets of your neighbourhood (‘frequently’ or ‘rarely’)																					26,3%	73,7%	100,0%	1

Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul Av. Ipiranga, 6681 - Partenon, Cep: 90619-900, Tel: +55 51 3320 3681 - Porto Alegre - RS - Brazil
E-mail: civitas@pucrs.br

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[1] Doutor em Sociologia pelo Instituto Universitário de Pesquisas do Rio de Janeiro (Iuperj) da Universidade Cândido Mendes (Ucam), no Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil; professor do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Sociais, Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (Uerj), no Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. doriamb@gmail.com