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The rate of fear of victimization has declined in recent years but remains a prevalent problem among adolescents. Fear has been explained in past literature by three main theories: victimization theory, social integration theory, and social disorganization theory. However, the prediction of fear of victimization can be done more concisely by the contribution of collective efficacy, a concept that combines a community's feelings of social cohesion with a willingness to intervene for the common good. Using data collected from Philadelphia middle schools in 1993-1994, this study tested the direct and interacting effects of bullying and collective efficacy on fear of victimization with hierarchical linear modeling. The results indicated that bullying is positively related to fear of victimization, and collective efficacy is negatively related to fear of victimization. Contrary to the hypothesis, the moderating effect of collective efficacy on bullying and fear was not statistically significant. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.

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Why do we behave the way we do? Can behaviour be modified? This thesis explores these questions by looking at behavioural and neuropsychology and how we control two basic emotions: fear and disgust. As this thesis will demonstrate, these two emotions compel us to avoid danger and go to extreme lengths to keep "safe." Using leprosy as its first case study, it tracks the evolution of more positive attitudes towards people with leprosy. It explores what life was like in Western Europe's 11th to 13th centuries. It juxtaposes those positive attitudes against later negative attitudes. It examines the stigmatization of diseases and disabilities, asking what fear and disgust are and how they affect human behaviour. This sets the stage for discussing HIV/AIDS, compared to leprosy, to demonstrate similar behaviour. The focal point of attitudes towards leprosy and HIV/AIDS is behavioural conditioning, a technique for retraining the brain to reinterpret a stimulus to mean something else. This thesis argues that this method can reduce fear, disgust, and stigma in most attitudes and behaviours about diseases and disabilities.

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Research supports the notion that sexual and physical assault history is associated with the use of self-protective strategies. One shortcoming in this area of research is the reliance on dichotomous (yes-no) measures of assault as opposed to number of experiences. The aim of this study was to determine if the number of sexual and physical assaults experienced is associated with self-protection behaviors, controlling for general safety concerns. Women (N = 293) completed measures of sexual and physical assault, self-protective behaviors, fear, and safety concerns using a web based survey. Contrary to expectations, sexual and physical assault (and the interactive effect of these variables) were not related to self-protective behaviors. However, safety concerns and overall fear were positively associated with the use of self-protective behaviors. These findings have implications for the creation of interventions aimed at victims of crime.

The aim of this study was to investigate cyber-crime victimization among Internet users in the United States by: 1) assessing the factors that impact computer virus victimization; 2) assessing the factors that impact cyber-crime victimization; and 3) predicting fear of cyber-crime. Two domains in criminology were applied to the study of cyber-crime phenomenon: routine activity theory, and the fear of crime literature. Three independent models were developed to predict computer virus victimization, cyber-crime victimization, and fear of cyber-crime. Measures of routine activity theory applied to cyber-crime victimization include risk exposure, and suitable targets were created. A more reliable measure of fear of cyber-crime was created, and a measure of perceived seriousness of cyber-crime was created. The 2004 National Cyber Crime Victimization Survey dataset was used in this project. Logistic Regression and OLS Regression were utilized to predict computer virus victimization, cyber-crime victimization, and fear of cyber-crime.The findings of this study indicate that routine activity theory was a powerful predictor of computer virus victimization and cyber-crime victimization. That is, risk exposure and suitable targets helped determine the victimization. The study also found that cyber-crime victimization, gender, and perceived seriousness were predictive of fear of cyber-crime. Discussion of the findings and theoretical and policy implications were offered.