 Urban and rural communities tend to have very different levels of fear of crime.Rural areas are almost always perceived by residents and outsiders as safer, so it is often assumed that fear of crime levels will be lower there.Still, 2005 research in New Zealand and the United Kingdom noted that fear of crime levels in rural areas is on the rise, and found that sources of fear of crime among rural women often include perceived encroachment of urban influence (through people or attitudes) into their communities.