Crime Rate in the Gold Coast: Demographic and Community Factors

This study examines the relationship between demographic and community factors and fear of crime in the Gold Coast. Data was collected from the 2017 Gold Coast Community Survey and analyzed using independent sample t-tests. Results suggest that age, education, news source, and community characteristics are related to fear of crime.

RUNNING HEADER: CRIME RATE IN THE GOLD COAST 1
Crime Rate in the Gold Coast
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Data
The data for the current study was collected from the 2017 Gold Coast Community Survey. The survey obtained data through self-
administered mail survey that was designed to examine the residents’ fear of crime and to identify the factors that are associated with
the perception of the individuals. In order to test the current research question, seven variables were measured: respondent’s age,
gender, income level, and education level), the source of news and information about crime on the Gold Coast, and community
characteristics (i.e., measures of social cohesion and collective efficacy). It should be noted that the demographics of participants were
in line with the broader Gold Coast population from which the sample was drawn from.
The current sample of respondents had an average fear of crime score of 0.58 (SD = 0.49), average age score of 3.26 (SD = 0.99),
average gender score of 0.43 (SD = 0.496), average income score of 0.55 (SD = 0.499), average highest year of school completed
score of 1.57 (SD = 0.73), average primary source of news and information score of 1.79 (SD = 1.148), average collective efficacy
score of 1.97 (SD = 0.712), and average social cohesion score of 0.04 (SD = 0.7).
Method
An independent sample t-test was used to compare the record the fear of crime in the Gold Coast. Independent sample means t-test
was used to compare the means of two independent groups in order to determine it is statistical evidence associated with certain
population. It was estimated that it had 300 sample areas of the council with 125 of the respondents are not fearful and the other 175

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being fearful. The t-test samples show the aspect of being fearfully varied widely with aspects of the respondent’s demographics,
sources of news and information and community characteristics. It was hypothesized that the respondents’ characteristics of the
community were related to the fear of crime. Consequently, two more hypotheses were developed. The other hypotheses stated that
the source of news and formation about crime on the Gold Coast was related to the community residents’ fear of crime and that the
community characteristics were related to the residents’ fear of crime.
Result
Independent-sample t-test was developed to compare the means between the two groups; the attributes of the respondents being fearful
and the respondents’ attributes of not being fearful.
Demographic characteristics of community residents related to fear of crime
From the independent sample t-test, it was observed that the mean of the respondents who were fearful based on their age had the
highest mean compared to those who were not fearful. Thus, it can be deduced that the older residents in the Gold Coast were more
fearful of crime. The old people in the Gold Coast area have numerous experiences that they have garnered throughout the years
regarding the high violence rate and the high crime rate in the region. Thus, they have become skeptical about the security in the
region. On the other hand, the young generation is less fearful. The attribute can be deduced from the fact that the young generation in

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the Gold Coast is obviously oblivious of the security situation in the area. Thus, they have to be warned more or informed more in
order to ensure that they are safe and aware of the security situation in the Gold Coast.
On the gender basis, the people in the Gold Coast appeared to be less fearful. However, the observation is less conclusive on which
gender is fearful or not. Thus, this is an opportunity to carry out more survey to establish who of the males or the female gender is
more fearful than the other.
The fear instilled by crime rates in the Gold Coast is can also be attached on the basis of income. The residents who were not fearful
had a higher mean than the people who were fearful. Residents with high income can be attributed to their potential to acquire security
details which will ensure their security. The crime spree in the region can also be observed to target the most vulnerable of people in
the Gold Coast. Thus, with increased income, the residents are able to acquire security details for themselves thereby alleviating their
attribute of not being fearful compared to residents with less income who are vulnerable as they are not able to protect themselves
from the crime spree in the Gold Coast.
People who had the highest year of school completed no fear compared to those who had a limited number of years of completing
school. Thus, people who are more learned tend to be more intelligent in circumventing the violence environment as they assure their
safety levels are high. Conversely, people with fewer years of completing school tend to be more careless and therefore fall into the
traps of the mobs and cartels who cause the people in the Gold Coast sleepless nights.
The source of news and information about crime on the Gold Coast related community residents’ fear of crime

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Residents who are informed through news and information about crime on the Gold Coast are not fearful compared to those who do
not have access to news and information. Through the disseminated information, the residents become aware of the area before going
through there and thereby choose the routes that they should use wisely. On the other hand, people with no information are prone to
the insecurity in the Gold Coast as they do not prior information about the events going on in a particular area. Thus, they fall victim
to the frequent mugging and violent robbery which leads to serious injuries and in some cases, death.
Community characteristics related to residents’ fear of crime?
In the Gold Coast, the areas which had social cohesion and collective efficacy had more people who were not fearful compared to
those in areas without social cohesion and collective efficacy. Keeping this in mind, the collective efforts of a community to stay
together and help each other ensures that crime and other vices are curbed. Therefore, this will assist people in their activities as they
have more confidence in going on with their day to day lives as they are less fearful of the unfolding events that happen in the area.
On the other hand, areas which there is no social cohesion or collective efficacy mean that the residents have a rough time going on
with their daily chores due to the insecurity in the area. Through this, the people tend to be more fearful as they do not know what will
happen to them especially with the rate of crime and violence in the area continue to be on the high.
However, conclusive conclusions could not be drawn from the group statistics. From the independent sample t-test results, it was
evident that the null hypothesis of equal population means is rejected for all the variables with exception to the respondent’s income.
Thus, the assumption of equal variance holds for resident’s income and does not for the rest of the variables. For the respondent’s

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income, the significance level of p > 0.05 suggests that the population means are equal. Thus, regardless of income people are
similarly fearful in the Gold Coast. The respondent’s age, gender, highest year of school completed, the primary source of news and
information, social cohesion, and collective efficacy have p < 0.05.
Conclusion
From the tests carried out on the data, it was seen that the fear of crime in the Gold Coast was relatively high. The attribute of being
fearful was relatively unchanged regardless of the respondent's attributes of age, gender, highest year of school completed, the primary
source of news and information, social cohesion, and collective efficacy. However, with regards to the income of the respondents, the
respondents did not show their indifference in being fearful. Thus, regardless of income, the respondents did not show any difference
in showing the fear.
Therefore, it is evident that the demographic characteristics of the community residents are related to the fear of crime. However, the
demographics of income is not in any way related to the fear of crime. Consequently, the source of news and information regarding
crime in the Gold Coast is related to the community residents’ fear of crime. Thus, if people get information regarding a crime of a
certain area, people frequenting that are will get fearful as they go through their business in these areas.
The characteristics of the community are also related to the residents’ fear of crime. Thus, a society that is characterized by social
cohesion and collective efficacy has its people less fearful compared to areas where these community characteristics are lacking.

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From these observations, steps can be taken to protect residents in the Gold Coast area as policymakers and the police come up with
contingency plans that will ensure the residents remain comfortable as they continue to make efforts in curbing crime in the area.