Fear of crime in South Africa: Obsession, compulsion, disorder

This paper proposes a five-factor social psychological model for understanding the “fear of crime” in South Africa. It argues that this phenomenon goes beyond fear, and beyond crime and is influence by the social psychological context, and the recent rapid changes in society. Consequently any attempt to address fear of crime must make an attempt to address these factors; or else actuarial and spectacular responses shall continue to offer temporary relief from anxiety, without doing anything to address this phenomenon in the long term.