Fear of Crime – Chicago Youth Development Study (CYDS-FOC)
Measures an individual's fear of crime, the coping mechanisms they employ to deal with this fear, and firearm ownership in the home.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Fear of Crime – Chicago Youth Development Study (CYDS-FOC) was developed by Gorman-Smith, D., Tolan, P. H., & Henry, D. B. (2000). It is designed to measure Fear of Crime. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and young adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 13 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Fear of Crime, Measures Taken To Cope with Fear of Crime, Firearm Ownership.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Fear of Crime | 1,2,3,4 | 4 |
| Measures Taken To Cope with Fear of Crime | 5,6,7,8,9,10 | 6 |
| Firearm Ownership | 11,12,13 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not fearful (Items 1-4), 2 = A little fearful (Items 1-4), 3 = Somewhat fearful (Items 1-4), 4 = Very fearful (Items 1-4), 0 = No (Items 5-13), 1 = Yes (Items 5-13).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Fear of Crime (Subscale 1 Mean): 1 – 2
- High Fear of Crime (Subscale 1 Mean): 3 – 4
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.