Influencing Factors on the Fear of Crime in Adults in Their 30s: Focus on Media Literacy, Perceived Neighborhood Disorder and Adult Attachment Styles

Purpose: To identify influencing factors of media literacy, perceived neighborhood disorder, and adult attachment styles on fear of crime in adults in their 30s. Methods: Subjects were 232 adults in their 30s residing in South Korea. Data were collected through online and mobile surveys from February 21 to 26, 2024. Results: The following factors were found to significantly influence general fear of crime: female (β=.29, <i>p</i><.001), perceived neighborhood disorder (β=.22, <i>p</i>=.002), attachment anxiety (β=.19, <i>p</i>=.003), and exclusion harmful media (β=.14, <i>p</i>=.020). These factors explained 23% of general fear of crime in adults in their 30s. The following factors significantly influenced specific fear of crime: perceived neighborhood disorder (β=.33, <i>p</i><.001), attachment anxiety (β=.29, <i>p</i><.001), female (β=.17, <i>p</i>=.003) and daily video platform usage (β=.16, <i>p</i>=.045). These factors explained 32% of specific fear of crime in adults in their 30s. Conclusion: A multidimensional approach to understanding influencing factors of fear of crime is necessary because such an approach can serve as a basis for future public safety policies. Community mental health nurses should also increase their focus on ensuring that citizens feel safe in their communities.