The role of victim-offender relationships in predicting fear of rape among college women

Women's fear of rape and sexual assault, particularly of college women, has firmly been established in the literature. What is not clear, however, is what causes this fear. The current study sought to further explore what causes college women's fear of rape using a sample of 224 college women. The data analyzed was collected through an Internet survey that included items asking women about their levels of fear, victimization experiences, perceived risk, and perceptions of crime and disorder. The current research also sought to examine if the correlates of fear varied across temporal situation and victim-offender relationship. The results indicated that only perceived risk of rape and crime and disorder consistently predicted women's fear of rape across temporal situations and victim-offender relationships. Other findings suggest that some constrained behaviors and victimization experiences have a relationship with fear, but these relationships are qualified by temporal situation and victim-offender relationship.