How does the Media cause fear of Crime?

How has the media increased the fear of crime?

exaggeration of the extent of violence and unusual crime and exaggeration of the risk of being a victim of crime distort and public impression of crime, creating an unrealistic fear of crime

What did Gebner et Al’s research find which linked the media with an increased fear of crime?

research in the USA - found that heavy uses of television (over 4 hours a day) had higher levels of Fear of Crime

What did Schlesinger and Tumber’s research find which linked the media with an increased fear of crime?

pattern between media consumption and fear of crime

• readers of tabloid newspapers and heavy users of TV expressing greater fear of becoming a victim especially of physical attack or mugging

What problems are found with the research explaining a link between media consumption and fear of crime?

people who watch more TV than others and consume more media generally stay in more

• already scared of going out at night - because of this fear they stay in and watch TV

• not the media that has caused this fear