Relationship between foreign contact and fear of criminal victimization

Notwithstanding the considerable rise in the number of foreign nationals residing in South Korea, xenophobic attitudes towards foreigners remain pervasive in the country. These prejudices and associated misconceptions and stereotypes not only impede social integration but also engender unwarranted fear. However, there is a paucity of research examining the relationship between prejudice-related factors and fear of crime victimization in Korea. This study aimed to ascertain whether the frequency of actual contact with foreigners reduces fear of crime victimization. This was done in order to test Allport's (1954) contact theory, which states that prejudice and negative attitudes toward other groups decrease as contact with them increases. A total of 463 respondents were analyzed in the secondary data downloaded from the Social Science Research Institute's “Survey on Perceptions of Changes in Criminal Policies Related to Multiculturalism.” The results indicated a significant correlation between the frequency of foreign contact and fear of crime victimization. However, contrary to what contact theory suggests, the more frequent the foreign contact, the greater the fear of crime victimization. Furthermore, gender and age group had a significant effect on fear of crime victimization, but average monthly personal income had no effect. This paper provides an interpretation of the results, discusses the need to develop multicultural policies to reduce fear of crime victimization, and presents policy recommendations based on the results.