Leiden University Student Repository

Tanusubroto, Melissa (2022)

Does 'closer to home' make a difference? how proximity of gang-related violence influences fear of crime and policy support in the Netherlands

Bachelor thesis | Security Studies (BSc)

It is established that (indirect) exposure to violent incidents impacts fear of crime. However, few studies have explored whether an incident in one’s direct neighborhood evokes a higher fear of crime compared to an incident located farther away. In addition, few studies have used this multi-spatial approach to analyze crime-specific fear. This thesis aims to fill both these gaps by investigating public opinion in the specific context of drug-related violence amongst adults in the Netherlands. More specifically, this thesis tests whether the proximity of a drug-related contract kill has a different effect on fear of crime and support for more specific anti-drug legislation based on the location of the incident. The analysis confirmed that both fear of drug-related violence and support for more specified policies are higher when the incident takes place in one’s direct neighborhood. These results are reflected upon and incorporated when discussing recommendations for future studies.

gang-related violence

spatial proximity

fear of crime

policy support

Author

Tanusubroto, Melissa

Faculty

Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs

Supervisors

Mazepus, H.

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en