Urbanisation,Neighbourhood Social Integration,Informal Social Control,Minor Social Disorder,Victimisation and Fear of Crime

This paper attempts to study how neighbourhood levels of victimisation and fear of crime vary with the degree of urbanisation, but also, which has rarely been done, aims empirically to explore some of the intervening mechanisms that link the degree of urbanisation with levels of neighbourhood victimisation and fear of crime. The data for the study come from two larger regional survey studies of random samples of the population (N = 7,059) in the Swedish counties of Stockholm and Gävleborg, covering all types of areas from rural areas to the central area of Sweden's biggest city Stockholm. Individual responses were aggregated by neighbourhood (cities) or residential district (rural areas). The findings show that all neighbourhood level measures (social integration, informal social control, minor social disorder, victimisation and fear of crime) vary significantly with the degree of urbanisation of the area in which the neighbourhood is located. The findings also show that the effect of urbanisation on neighbourhood levels of victimisation and fear of crime fit an empirical model where this effect is mediated by neighbourhood social integration, informal social control and minor social disorder.