Terrified of muggings? You probably grew up in the ’70s! People are most afraid of the crimes that were key political concerns during their youth
- The politics you grow up with shape how frightened you are of certain crimes
- People who were teenagers under Thatcher are most frightened of burglary
- During her tenure in the 1980s, the nation saw a sharp rise in property crime
- Those who grew up under New Labour are more concerned about vandalism
- Anti-social crime was a prominent issue during the tenures of Brown and Blair
- Between the ages of 15 to 25, people are likely to form most of their lasting opinions on the world and are more sensitive to social events, scientists said
The politics when you were a teenager determine how much you fear certain crimes, new research has suggested.
These fears around certain crimes last decades into adulthood.
According to the latest findings, teenagers under Labour in the 1970s now fear muggings more than other generations, while people whose formative years fell under Margaret Thatcher chiefly fear burglaries.
These anxieties stem from the key social and political issues that plagued Britain at the time, the researchers said.
A dramatic rise in property crime during the 1980s means people who were in their teens under Thatcher are scared of burglaries, while a rise in anti-social crime under Tony Blair means millennials are most concerned about vandalism and loitering.
We are most sensitive to social events between the ages of 15 to 25 as this is when we form many of our lasting opinions of the world, researchers said.
The politics you grew up with shapes how frightened you are of certain crimes – even decades after you became an adult, suggests new research. Those who were teenagers under Labour in the 70s worry most about muggings (stock image)
Researchers at the University of Sheffield Southampton University and Sciences Po in Paris, investigated how our upbringing affects our feelings about certain crimes.
Study co author Professor Stephen Farrall, Deputy Head of Sheffield University’s School of Law, said: ‘The pronouncements leading politicians make about crime can have a lasting impact on the crime fears of young adults.
‘Political and popular debates about crime that are prevalent in one’s youth appear to impact the fears those individuals report through adulthood and into middle age.’
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Scientists analysed 30 years of data around fear of crime and anti-social behaviour from the Office for National Statistics British Crime Survey in England and Wales.
In doing so, they were able to estimate the net effects of individual ageing, the historical period in which the survey was conducted, and the political generations the respondents belonged to.
The researchers found a strong relationship between a respondent’s fear of certain crimes and their political generation.
The political climate we experience aged of 15 to 25 has a strong influence on our anxieties because this is the age we form key opinions and are most sensitive to social events, researchers claim (stock image)
For example, those who grew up under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990) or John Major (1990-1997) expressed the greatest level of worry about domestic burglary.
This same generation witnessed a dramatic rise in property crime during the 1980s.
Meanwhile, the generation whose formative years fell during the leadership of Wilson and Callaghan expressed the highest levels of worry about robbery and mugging, which was a key concern for politicians, policy makers and journalists at the time.
Responses to anti-social behaviours tell a similar story.
DOES THE YEAR YOU GREW UP IN AFFECT YOUR FEAR OF CRIME?
Research led by the university of Sheffield suggests the year we grew up in has a big impact on the crimes we fear most.
This is because the political and social climate during our teenage years and early 20s alters our last perception of the world.
The researchers found the following links between political generations and crimes most feared –
- Harold Wilson and James Callaghan (1974-79): Muggings and robberies
- Margaret Thatcher and John Major (1979-1997): Burglaries
- Tony Blair and Gordon Brown (1997-2010): Vandalism and loitering
People who grew up during the Blair and Brown governments, from the late 1990s to 2010, reported the highest level of concern about local problems, such as vandalism, teenagers loitering, and noisy neighbours.
Such problems were big issues during that political period.
Overall, the new study shows that people have a greater propensity to fear the crimes that were the focus of political debate during their youth – and this effect persists into adulthood.
The results reveal that crime fears can linger, and that the processes by which people form their political values can cast a long-term influence on their attitude about crime.
Professor Farrall concluded: ‘Our narratives of crime and disorder tell us something important about the enduring influence of our political history and the stories we hear about crime.’
The full study was published in the British Journal of Criminology.
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