The health impact assessment of crime prevention

Crime is a major issue in terms of its impact on individuals, communities and the state. In
exploring the links between crime and health it is important to distinguish between the health
impacts of being a victim of crime (especially on more than one occasion), those of being an
offender or at risk of offending and those of being afraid of becoming a victim (fear of crime).
Fear of crime may also affect those who are concerned about the safety of relatives, friends
and neighbours. This introduces the notion of ‘vicarious fear of crime’ that may also be an
important influence on health outcomes.