Written story produced by Elise Holbrook. Podcast episode produced in collaboration with Drue Stinnett.
Take a moment and think about your upbringing. Were you constantly and consistently taught to pay attention to your surroundings, or to be cautious in public, whether it be sticking to well-lit areas, having a friend of family member with you at all times or being ready to defend yourself should you be attacked? Chances are if you are female you have likely had these warnings etched into your memory as an ever present reminder that you are not safe, the world around you is not safe, and you must be ready for something bad to happen at any moment.
This isn’t to say men are not taught to be cautious and aware of their surroundings. But, take a moment to compare your experiences with that of friends and family members of the opposite sex of how they were raised and instructed, to protect themselves. Do you have differing experiences when it comes to how you were taught to think about, or fear crime?
An 1995 article by Elizabeth A. Stanko for The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science examines attempts to address women’s fear of crime at the time, arguing that women’s anxiety about danger is related to their position in society, which is related to their gender. Stanko questions if the acknowledgment of women’s fears through the offering of self-defense training kits and courses and advertising protection items actually address what women are afraid of, and how to minimize that fear.
Stanko acknowledges that at the time of the article there was no overall consensus of a definition of fear of crime among researchers. However, there are basic components of that fear which they can agree on. Stanko states that generally, the fear of crime represents someone’s sense of danger of being physically harmed by criminal violence, and notes that the most consistent finding is the difference between genders – women report higher fear levels than men. As Stanko notes, this is despite the fact that men have a higher risk of personal violence.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey, in 1995 men were more likely to be victims of violent crime, except for rape and sexual assault, than women. However, in 2017 there is no significant difference in the percentage of violent acts committed against males and females, but females do remain at a higher rate of victimization for rape and sexual assault as of 2016.
How can women be mainly at an equal risk of victimization as men, yet fear crime more? It comes down to differences in socialization and someone’s position in society. If women are instructed to learn how to defend themselves and to take up arms, then perhaps we aren’t actually addressing what women are afraid of, as Stanko stated. By feeding a fear that might not be justified in comparison to the likelihood of being a victim of violent acts, we may maintain or increase the amount of fear women feel.
Young women today relate to mutual experiences of being taught from a young age to be fearful of the chance of violence, to be aware of everything happening around them and knowing what to do if something happens to them. However, men don’t always share the same experiences or fear of crime. While a woman may park her car next to a light post, and return to it with keys in hand ready to quickly access to the vehicle or to use for self-defense, a man may not perceive the same actions as necessary.
Listen to the She Rambles Podcast as Drue and Elise discuss what it’s like to be women in a world where you have to be afraid of everything, all the time. Why do we always have to worry about what might happen to us while we are in public or alone in our own homes? How does the media we consume contribute to our fears? And, do programs such as Rape Aggression Defense courses really teach you everything you need to know to stay safe? The girls discuss their personal experiences with everything from being taught to fear, and how to protect themselves.
