About 37 percent of Americans say they’re too scared to walk the streets alone nearby their homes at night, a new survey found.
Gallup reported Monday that 37 percent say there is a spot that’s within one mile of their home where they fear to tread by themselves at night. Predictably perhaps, 45 percent of women felt this way, compared to 27 percent of men, Newsmax reported.
But by age group, the fear lessens with years.
Forty-eight percent of those between the ages of 18 and 29 say they fear walking alone at night near their homes, the poll found. But only 35 percent of those between the ages of 30 and 49 felt similarly — and 34 percent of those between the ages of 50 and 64, Newsmax reported. By the time respondents hit age 65, only 31 percent felt the same fear.
The numbers are down dramatically from 1982, when 48 percent of Americans said they feared walking alone at night nearby their homes. The low point for fear came in 2002, when only 30 percent responded with fear at the thought of walking by themselves at night, Newsmax reported.
The survey was released just before the grand jury handed down its decision in Ferguson, ruling that not enough evidence existed to bring Officer Darren Wilson to trial for any charges. Following, protests erupted in both Ferguson, and in select cities around the nation.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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