ALTHOUGH WOMEN ARE LESS LIKELY THAN MEN TO BECOME VICTIMS OF CRIME, THEY REPORT CONSIDERABLY GREATER FEAR OF CRIME THAN DO MEN. THERE ARE TWO APPROACHES TO EXPLAINING THIS APPARENT PARADOX: (1) THOSE THAT FOCUS ON CHARACTERISTICS ATTRIBUTED TO WOMEN, I.E., EITHER PERSONALITY TRAITS (PASSIVITY AND DEPENDENCY) OR LACK OF DEFENSIVE CAPACITY; AND (2) THOSE THAT FOCUS ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CRIME, PARTICULARLY RAPE, AS IT AFFECTS WOMEN. THE SURVEY AND INTERVIEW DATA INDICATE THAT EXPLANATIONS FOCUSING ON WOMEN'S ABILITY TO DEFEND THEMSELVES ARE MORE USEFUL THAN THOSE EMPHASIZING PERSONALITY TRAITS. BUT THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR UNDERSTANDING WOMEN'S GREATER FEAR OF CRIME LIES IN EXAMINATION OF THE CRIME OF RAPE AND ITS IMPACT ON WOMEN. IT APPEARS THAT WOMEN'S GREATER FEAR MAY BE A REACTION NOT SIMPLY TO THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING RAPED, BUT RATHER TO THE FACT THAT RAPE OFTEN HAS MORE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES THAN MANY OF THE CRIMES EXPERIENCED BY MEN. WHATEVER ITS SOURCES, WOMEN'S FEAR OF CRIME UNIFORMLY HAS THE EFFECT OF LIMITING THEIR FREEDOM. WOMEN RESTRICT THEIR BEHAVIOR BECAUSE OF THEIR FEAR OF RAPE. IF THEY DO NOT, THEY MAY BE PUNISHED NOT ONLY DIRECTLY BY BEING RAPED, BUT ALSO INDIRECTLY BY BEING BLAMED FOR ACTING TOO FREELY. SUPPORTING TABULAR DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)