This book investigates the validity and methodological limitations of the 'fear of crime' concept as it has been utilized in governmental policy and academic research since the 1960s. Murray Lee and Stephen D. Farrall curate a collection of scholarly contributions that critique the traditional assumption that fear is an objectively quantifiable metric. By examining the intersection of popular discourse and criminological inquiry, the authors propose alternative paradigms for understanding how anxiety regarding crime is constructed and measured in contemporary society.

Experts in the field of criminology recognize this text as a significant contribution to the critical re-evaluation of established social science metrics. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, making it a primary resource for scholars and graduate students interested in the sociology of crime and public perception.