Are TV Crime Dramas Having an Effect on the Public?
Behavioral scientists have long supposed that television crime dramas affect societal beliefs and attitudes. In a Purdue University study, researchers Glenn Sparks and Susan Huelsing Sarapin have found those suppositions to be correct.
Other People Are Reading
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Career Choice
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According to the study, viewers of TV crime shows are more likely to pursue careers in criminal justice.
Frequency of Crime
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Regular viewers of these shows tend to overestimate the frequency of crime. Heavy viewers estimate the percentage of real-world deaths due to murder at 21/2 times that of non-viewers.
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Number of Criminal Justice Workers
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Though police officers and lawyers each make up only 1 percent of America's work force, crime show aficionados estimate that figure to be 16 percent and 18 percent, respectively.
"Mean World Syndrome"
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Sparks and Sarapin also found viewers of crime shows to be more fearful of victimization than non-viewers, and more likely to see the world as a frightening place.
Potential Jurors and Court Proceedings
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According to Sarapin, the effect these shows might have on jurors regarding evidence and the frequency of crime have compelled some states to permit attorneys to ask potential jurors about their crime show viewing habits.
Effect on Youth
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According to University of Michigan professor L. Rowell Huesman, research consistently shows "that exposure to media violence causes children to behave more aggressively and affects them as adults years later."
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References
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of chris elward
