Examining fear of crime among Macao residents: Vulnerability, victimisation and situational factors.

This study investigates fear of crime among residents of Macao using data from the 2022 Macao Victimisation Survey, conceptualizing fear of crime as a multidimensional construct with affective, cognitive, and behavioural components. Employing regression models, the research examines the influence of vulnerability, victimisation experiences, and situational factors—including community disorder and perceived crime rates—on these fear dimensions, and tests whether situational factors moderate the victimisation–fear relationship. Findings indicate that victimisation experiences significantly increase fear across all dimensions, while situational factors affect mainly the affective and cognitive dimensions; however, age and gender do not significantly predict fear, and situational factors do not moderate the victimisation–fear link. The study highlights Macao's unique socio-cultural and institutional context, characterized by low crime rates, extensive social welfare, and dense urban living, which may explain deviations from Western-based fear of crime models and underscores the need for locally grounded theoretical frameworks.