Home invasions take big psychological toll

Terry OBrien has security cameras around his home.

The drapes are drawn. Even during the day.

A stop is wedged under the door every night.

Subtle changes in the neighborhood prompt quick calls from his wife to 911. A suspicious man with a flashlight? It was a neighbor walking his dog at night. A suspicious car? It belonged to a painter doing some work at the house next door.

OBrien said life was not always like that.

The past months string of home invasions, some horrifically violent and brutal, have provoked that response.

Such a crime drives that kind of fear into a neighborhood. Into a community. Because unlike a mugging in an alley or a holdup at a drugstore, home invasion strikes where people feel most protected. The sanctity and security of the home is violated.

Victims of home invasions can bear unimaginable grief and pain. The physical and emotional suffering can be profound. The fear can be overwhelming.

But one does not have to be a victim to be afraid. Neighbors can suffer to a degree, too. They sympathize with the victims. They fear for the victims. They fear for themselves.

The risk, experts in psychology and criminal justice say, is letting vigilance cascade into paralyzing fear. People must find a balance or risk being a type of victim themselves.

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Home invasions take big psychological toll