For the oddball crimes, that is true. Kids aren't actually getting swiped off the streets. For more normal crimes, the lifetime chance of being a crime victim

For the oddball crimes, that is true. Kids aren't actually getting swiped off the streets. For more normal crimes, the lifetime chance of being a crime victim is serious. For stranger-on-stranger violent crime, there is a total lifetime probability of about 5.3%. You might think "oh that is just 5.3% so no big deal", but the chance of dying in a fire is only 0.09% and we still bother with smoke detectors. Violent crime is a life-altering event. Given the potential for horrific consequences, it is reasonable to be concerned about the possibility. Transportation choices change that risk.