7.2 The media as a cause of crime

• How does the fashion industry used images of the forbidden to sell products?

  Names like opium/poison
• What did Fenwick & Hayward say about crime becoming a style to be consumed?


  Images of crime are used to sell products

  Crime is packaged & marketed to young people as romantic, exciting & cool
• How does Young (Cultural criminologist) see society as 'media-saturated'?


  There's a blur between the image & reality of crime so the two are no longer clearly distinct
• What does cultural criminology say about media?

  Rather than simply producing crime in their audiences, the media encourage them to consume crime
• How does relative deprivation link to Merton?

  He argues that pressures to conform to the norm can cause deviant behaviour when the legitimate opportunity is blocked to get these materialistic goods
• What do left realists like Lea & Young suggest media increases?


  Feelings of relative deprivation
• What did Greer & Reiner say to criticise media causing fear of crime?


  Ignores meanings viewers give to media violence

  Interpretivist view that if we want to understand media effects we must look at the meanings people give to what they see
• How do these correlations not prove that media watching causes fear of crime?

  It may be that those who are already afraid of going out at night watch more TV because they stay in more
• What did Gerbner et al find about fear of crime?


  They found that heavy users of television (4+ hours a day) had higher levels of fear of crime
• What did Livingstone suggest about why people are concerned about the effects of media on children?


  People are preoccupied with the effects of media on children because society regards childhood as innocent
• How has media been blamed for crime over the years? (2)

  20s & 30s, cinema was blamed for corrupting youth

  Now, rap lyrics & computer games like GTA have been blamed for encouraging violence & criminality
• What 4 ways may media cause crime & deviance?

  Imitation, providing deviant role models

  Desensitisation, through repeated viewing of violence

  Stimulating desires for unaffordable goods, advertising

  Transmitting knowledge of criminal techniques