Are you afraid of being a victim of some type of criminal activity? If so, you are not alone. Fear of becoming a victim of crime is a common feeling among citizens in the United States. Across the board, fear of becoming a victim is more prevalent in women. According to the Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, 32% of women surveyed had occasional to frequent worries about being sexually assaulted. 33% of women were occasionally to frequently worrying about being mugged and 45% being a victim of terrorism.

For the most part, the numbers were even regardless of the woman’s race. Black women were three times more concerned about becoming a victim in a hate crime than white women. Black women are also twice as likely to frequently worry about being murdered. Overall, women frequently worry about becoming the victim of a violent criminal act. Men, on the other hand, appear to be most concerned with property loss.

The top two frequent concerns among men are being burglarized at home when they are not there and having their vehicle stolen or broken into. The least concern, according to the survey, was being assaulted or killed by a co-worker or other employee where they work. As with the women surveyed, terrorism is still a moderate concern. Among men, 30% worry about being the victim of a terrorist act at least occasionally.

Another interesting trend has to do with a person’s age. Men and women were asked whether or not they feel safe walking in their neighborhood at night or any area within one mile from their house. Those in the age group of 21 to 49 predominately don’t feel safe. Only 30% of participants in that age range said they feel safe. An overwhelming 70% don’t feel safe at night around their homes.

Since the 1970s, the number for this age group has been around 40-60. In 1990, only 33% felt safe, but the number rose the following year. In 2002, the number began to drop. The events of 9-11 may have something to do with this decrease. Still, the historical data clearly shows that Americans, in general, don’t feel safe at night around their neighborhoods.