Crime Shows & Their Influence

People’s opinions about crime & the criminal justice system are in a way, shaped by the indirect information they consume by the media. Television may be considered to be a powerful medium that is able to educate and entertain masses. There are a variety of crime shows that may range from purely fictional, crime news to even reality television these days. Some programs may be considered both entertaining & informative as they are now referred to as ‘infotainment’. It has now been suggested that the content within these programs may influence people’s perceptions towards crime and the criminal justice system. They may either provoke fear or even glamorize crime.

The fact that people within society do not have direct or regular experiences of crime, leaves them to depend on other sources for such information. This leads to people coming to their own conclusions or misconceptions about crime which is greatly portrayed through film and television. Television both increases and reduces the fear of crime. It is likely someone will fear crime after watching a crime-related program however someone else’s fear of crime will reduce after watching a culprit being caught & sentenced.

Those that also watch crime-related television, in particular crime dramas such as CSI etc., are more likely to ‘overestimate the frequency of serious crimes.’ (Sparks, Purdue University study) It was also found that ‘Heavy TV-crime viewers estimated 2 and a half more times more real-world deaths due to murder then non-viewers.’ This is because crime shows usually show death as a result of murder. This greatly affects people’s perceptions of crime and its frequency within the real world.

A possible result of heavy reliance on television shows and mass media can lead to ‘mean world syndrome’. A term coined by Geoge Gerbner to describe a phenomenon whereby violent related content within mass media makes viewers believe the world is an intimidating and dangerous place. It has been found that there is a direct correlation between the amount of television one watches and the amount of fear one harbors about the world.’

There is also the CSI effect, where there has been an exaggerated portrayal of forensic science on crime shows which then influences public perfection. This is evident when jurors demand more forensic evidence in criminal trials. As a result, they raise the effective standard of proof for prosecutors. This ‘effect’ is not completely proven however frequent crime show or CSI viewers, may place lower value on circumstantial evidence. Furthermore, public awareness about forensic science has been increased, as well as the demand for forensic evidence by police investigators. Not only this, forensic may also teach criminals how to conceal evidence and therefore makes it even more difficult for investigators to solve cases.

Crime shows may also negatively influence society by glamorizing and glorifying crime. This then leads to an increase in crime as it has been said the audience is encouraged and influenced by what they see on television. Copy-cat situations may also be encouraged. Shows such as Underbelly and Breaking Bad have been critized for glorifying and even increasing crime rates. Underbelly has been accused of turning gangsters into cult stars and glorifying dangerous killers that are even profiting from their crimes. Peter Rolfe highlights another problem with this situation by stating that ‘..With a series like Underbelly is that there is no thought for the victims or their families.’

‘Breaking Bad’ is another example which contains criminal activities. It has been said to normalize the use and idea of meth, something people previously may not have been familiar with. The show has now been said to influence the real-life meth trade as the use & trade of methamphetamines are increasing. Blake Edwing states that ‘When a critically acclaimed television show centered on the drug world so permeates popular culture that is becomes the subject of water cooler talk and Jimmy Fallon parodies, there can be little doubt that some people on the margins of society (teenagers, young adults, low income, poverty, etc.) will be drawn to that world, if only out of morbid curiosity.’

The extent that people get caught up with television is astounding, it greatly impacts people’s perceptions of crime, the criminal justice system or even our views on the world. It will also give people a false sense of the use of something such as forensic science or even lead to increases in crime by glorifying it.

References:

Benns M. 2008, ‘Glorifying gangsters a crime, say critics’, Sydney Morning Herald, 1 June, viewed 19 May 2014, <http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/glorifying-gangsters-a-crime-say-critics/2008/05/31/1211654371079.html>.

Kort-Butler L., Sittner Hartshorn K. 2011, Crime dramas influence societies view of crime, FYI Living, viewed 19 May 2014, <http://fyiliving.com/research/crime-dramas-influence-societies-view-of-crime/>.

                                        

Kort-Butler L., Sittner Hartshorn K. 2011, ‘Watching the detectives: crime programming, fear of crime, and attitudes about the criminal justice system’, vol. 52, viewed 19 May 2014, <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21337735>.

Lilly K. 2009, ‘TV’s crime dramas affecting reality’, Pharos-Tribune, 28 November, viewed 19 May 2014, <http://www.pharostribune.com/local/x546238808/TV-s-crime-dramas-affecting-reality>.

Miller J. 2006, ‘George Gebner leaves the mean world syndrome’, Peace, Earth and Justice News, 8 January, viewed 19 May 2014, <http://pejnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4053>.

RMN Global Research 2013, Is Breaking Bad a bad influence on society by mainstreaming meth?, viewed 19 May 2014, <http://rmnglobalsearch.com/breaking-bad/>.