Mass Media and Fear of Crime

Charges that the mass media create unwarranted levels of fear of crime are almost as old as the media themselves. Researchers entered the fray in large numbers in the 1960s, documenting the effects of television, newspapers, and movies on perceptions of crime and fear of criminal victimization. Recent developments in mass media, such as the rise in popularity of crime reenactment television programs, the access to more violence via cable, VCR, and satellite dish, and the interactive nature of electronic games, raise even greater concern about the fear-generating potential of these media. In addition, the real-world increase in the occurrence of stranger crimes and mass attacks could make the media image even more potent, because of the prevalence of random or random-appearing crimes reported by the media. This article provides an overview of the research on the mass media and its effects on perceptions of crime danger, personal fear of crime, and reactions to crime risk. In addition, we examine the modifiers of the relationships between media and fear.

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