The Differential Mediating Effects of Informal and Formal Social Control on the Disorder-Fear Linkage in Rural and Urban Areas of South Korea

Abstract

This study verifies whether the disorder-fear linkage is mediated by perceived risk and informal and formal social control and whether these paths appear differently in urban and rural areas. The disorder-fear linkage was analyzed through structural equation model analysis based on the data collected throughout South Korea. The regions were classified into rural areas (N = 2888), small and medium-sized cities (N = 4893), and large cities (N = 5494). The disorder-fear linkage was mediated by both informal and formal social control in rural areas, by only formal social control in large cities, and by neither in small and medium-sized cities, indicating that the social mechanism of disorder, informal social control, and fear of crime appear differently in urban and rural areas. A model that combines the broken windows theory with an expressive model of confidence in the police explains the disorder-fear linkage in the South Korean context, and these theoretical explanations are most suitable for rural areas. The findings suggest the measures that facilitate formal social control, such as creating an environment in which the residents are more likely to trust the police and report crimes, may be effective in reducing the fear of crime in urban areas.