A new study has demonstrated that adolescents who are more frightened of crime are less suitable to become victims and culprit of violent acts.
The study conducted by the Michigan State University displayed that reducing fear would not help citizens become better informed on issues that could affect their routine activities and safety.
Chris Melde, MSU associate professor of criminal justice said that if they were going to reduce crime and victimization, they should present people with an accurate assessment of crime and delinquency in local areas.
Melde said that the findings related to situations people could avoid and not to the types of victimization that dealt with one person's power over another, such as child abuse and domestic violence.
Melde added that they should leave fear alone as a natural response to crime unless it reached that chronic or phobic level and that was when one wanted to intervene.
The study is published in the journal Justice Quarterly.