Samenvatting

Whether it is the topic of everyday conversation, a political debate or scientific discussion: it is evident that fear of crime can be understood and examined in a variety of ways. This creates inconsistencies in the interpretation of the concept, which can hinder research into fear of crime and the design of interventions. In the past, researchers have developed classifications to better understand fear of crime. The current article aims to come to an updated and integrated classification and supplementary table of classification, within which new insights from the fear of crime literature are incorporated, to further our understanding of the concept. This classification is subsequently applied as a tool. We show how our classification can help design new research, better understand previous research and create an overview of the knowledge on fear of crime. We furthermore show how the classification can be used by policy makers to better understand and address societal challenges related to fear of crime.