Discussion #4: Franklin and Franklin

Question 1
The fear of victimization is different for men and women for two main reasons. First,
this fear is greater for women than men (Franklin & Franklin, 2008; (Mallicoat, 2014).
Because women are physically weaker and socialized to conduct themselves passively and in
a “ladylike” manner, they are less able than men to fend off the attack (Franklin & Franklin,
2008). Hence, their greater feeling of vulnerability. Secondly, men and women are exposed to
different types of vulnerabilities. While women are equally exposed to physical and social
vulnerabilities, men tend to be more prone to social vulnerability only.
Question 2
The fear of crime is related to specific offenses. In other words, not all violent crimes
are feared the same. This is especially the case for women whose greatest fear is that of
sexual assault (Mallicoat, 2014). So great is women’s fear of sexual assault that it shadows
their fear of other kinds of violent crime. Hence, the phenomenon of “shadow of sexual
assault.” While pockets of the male population may be especially afraid of certain types of
violent crime, overall, men do not seem to exhibit great fear for particular types of violent
crime (Franklin & Franklin, 2008).
Question 3
According to Franklin and Franklin (2008), a person’s perceived sense of
vulnerability affects their degree of fear of victimization. Thus, on account of their greater
physical and social vulnerabilities, women are more afraid of being victimized than men.
While vulnerability facilitates fear, social integration inhibits it, especially when individuals
feel that they are socially integrated within their neighborhoods and communities. Here,

women seem to have the upper hand because, generally, they are more integrated into their
communities than men.

References

Franklin, C., & Franklin, T. (2008). Predicting fear of crime: Considering differences across
gender. Feminist Criminology, 1-24.
Mallicoat, S. L. (2014). Women and Crime: A Text/Reader. Thousand Oaks: SAGE
Publications, Inc.