Sociology of fear of crime in Latin America

Abstract

Independently of the varying national homicide indexes, the fear of crime affects all sociopolitical dimensions across Latin American countries and influences the agendas of political parties, security markets, and everyday life. This contribution presents an overview on the fear of crime and insecurity studies in the region, focusing on two main fields: fear of crime studies showcasing similarities and differences among Latin American countries in terms of the relationship between fear and victimization, gender, class, age, and community cohesion perceptions, and the socio-cultural dimension to this phenomenon, including media influences on the fear of delinquency, the role of the state, and the general climate of ontological insecurity.