Crime And Its Effects On The Public Perception Of Crime

The unfortunate reality of society relying on the media for information regarding criminal events, subjects the public to the misrepresentation and manipulation on the validity of crime in the community. Steven Chermak was one of few to examine into detail the various factors of a crime that affect the amount of attention and space a media source (in this case newspapers) awards to the crime story. In his article, Predicting Crime Story Salience: The Effects of Crime, Victim, and Defendant Characteristics, as the title implies, the components investigated incorporate the differing variables from the circumstances of a crime and the characteristics of both the offender(s) and the victim(s) (Chermak, 1998, p.61). Chermak remarks on the medias manipulation, and presentation methods of crime stories and it’s effects on the public perception of crime. More recent publications in the world of criminology, including â€Å"The Criminal Event: An Introduction to Criminology in Canada by L.W Kennedy and V.F Sacco, and Study Guide: Introduction to Criminology by B. Cartwright have similar and differing views to Chermak. This essay will address and summarize Chermak’s article, state his findings, and relate them to the information stated in the works of Cartwright, and Kennedy and Sacco. In his article, Chermak (1998) claims the previous studies completed on the representation of crime in the media contain major breaches in the content examined. Some examples include; how variation inShow MoreRelatedCrime Data And Its Effects On Victims And The Public Essay1627 Words   |  7 Pagessomewhat brief insight and view of crime reporting within South Australia and the perceptions of crime within the state. He provides the reader with his personal view and concerns which are: †¢ The public’s perception in regards to crime statistics within South Australia through media and social media; and †¢ His frustrations at the lack of reporting of crime and the reluctance of victims/witnesses, to come forward and assist police with their enquiries to solve crime. This critique of Commissioner Burns’Read MoreCrime Data And Its Effects On Victims And The Public Essay1597 Words   |  7 Pagesinsight and view of crime reporting within South Australia and the perceptions of crime within the state. Commissioner Burns provides the reader with his personal view of his frustrations and concerns which are: †¢ the public’s perception in regards to crime statistics within South Australia through media and social media; †¢ his frustrations at the lack of reporting of crime and reluctance of victims/witnesses, to come forward and assist police with their enquiries to solve crime. This critique ofRead MoreThe Importance Of A Moral Panic And How It Can Influence The Publics Perception Of Crime Essay1602 Words   |  7 Pagespublic’s perception of crime. Give examples. It is unforunate that we live in a world where the media and government can influence personal opinions on acts of crimes and deviance. This essay will discuss the idea of a ‘moral panic’ and how it can influence the publics perception of crime. The paper will begin with a discussion on what a moral panic is, and then discuss Goode and Ben Yehuda’s four main types of a moral panic. Following this will be a summary on why the perceptions of crime have changedRead MoreRealtionship Between the Media, Public Perceptions of Crime and Police1553 Words   |  7 Pagesof exposure to specific news media affect fear of crime? This question is examined in a survey with data collected from three universities in the United States and one in Canada;  The Impact of Media on Fear of Crime among University Students: A Cross-National Comparison, goes over the results. It’s believed that fear in itself can be debilitating leading to harmful social outcomes. Vincent Sacco b elieves there are three dimensions to fear of crime: cognitive, emotional and behavioral. Cognitive looksRead MoreCrime And Fear Of Crime1699 Words   |  7 PagesWhen it comes to issues of crime and criminals, there are numerous potential influences that can shape an individual’s perceptions. Additionally, a major factor of perceptions of crime is the underlying emotional reactions to crime and criminal issues. These emotions about crime are vary from person to person but fear of crime tends to be regarded as the most influential response, as represented by the vast research conducted on the topic of fear of crime and its effects. In this paper, three articlesRead MoreMedias Influence on Crime in Postmodern Society970 Words   |  4 PagesHow do the Media Influence our understandings about crime in postmodern society? Can they also influence levels of crime? The media has a huge influence on how crime is presented and perceived. In fact, the media might even have an impact on crime prevalence and type. Reiner (2007) points out that hard scientific evidence shows that television viewing affects the ways children behave, and that children imitate violent images, (Reiner, 2007, p. 302). Based on this information, it is not justRead MoreThe Effects Of Media On Fear Of Crime1488 Words   |  6 PagesREVIEW OF LITERATURE Overrepresentation of Crime and the Media Numerous studies have been done investigating fear of crime and causal links (Dorfman and Schiraldi 2001; Gerbner and Gross 1976; Hale 1996). However, few empirical studies have been done that examine the effects media has on fear of crime (Chermack 1994). Media is defined as a manner in which we can access information and news through technology (Gillium 2000). This might be on television, radio, newspapers and magazines, and otherRead MoreCrime, Moral Panics and the Media Essay1726 Words   |  7 Pages Most people use second hand information as their core source of information about crime, this source of information usually being the media. When carrying out sample research in Birmingham, Susan Smith (1984) discovered that 52% of people obtained most of their information about crime from the media, 36% obtained it from hearsay or alleged experiences of friends and neighbours, 3% from their own experiences, and 1% from the police service themselves (cited in JonesRead MoreHow The Media Shapes The Public Discourse Of Crime1344 Words   |  6 Pagesand Analysis of How the Media Shapes the Public Discourse of Crime Whether through social media, televised news, or newspapers, most people are exposed to some sort of news media every day. It is the responsibility of the media to inform the public about what is happening in the world around us, and more often than not, that includes reporting crime. If the media is the source of our information, they have the power to influence our perception of that information. The media have theRead MoreSanctions, Perceptions, And Crime852 Words   |  4 PagesSANCTIONS, PERCEPTIONS, AND CRIME HOW MUCH DO WE REALLY KNOW ABOUT CRIMINAL DETERRENCE According to the journal article, How Much Do We Really Know about Criminal Deterrence? The concept of deterrence is simple: â€Å"it is the omission of a criminal act because of the fear of sanctions or punishments. Deterrence is an important foundation of the criminal justice system. Law enforcement is there to apprehend those that break the law, and to convince the public that there is a risk of apprehension