Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
MEDIA + CRIME - MEDIA AS A CAUSE OF CRIME - Coggle Diagram
MEDIA + CRIME - MEDIA AS A CAUSE OF CRIME
The Hypodermic Syringe Model
This model suggests that media audiences are passive recipients of the messages from the media and that these messages without critical thought. It argues that these messages are acted upon mindlessly by audiences
E.g.
Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment
- those who had watched the adults violently attack the doll copied the behaviour, which Bandura claimed shows that violence is learnt - if children are exposed to violent images in the media, they might learn that such behaviour is normal and act out the scenes in real life
Imitation
The idea that people will act out the crimes + the violence that they view via the media, e.g. College student who acted out scenes from GTA
School of crime
Watching crime shows + the news can help criminals to perfect their skills + learn how to be less detectable in their crime
It can also show them how to commit crime
Arousal
The increased adrenaline and endorphins leads to people engaging in risky and criminal behaviour, for example the increase in traffic crimes on opening weekends of the Fast and Furious films
Desensitisation
Watching violence in the media can lead to the lowering of peoples level for shock value meaning that they no longer are horrified by it and can be more likely to commit the act themselves
Deprivation
Links to the Left Realism and Strain Theory. The idea that the media provides unobtainable ideas of lifestyles of the rich and famous which can lead to people commit crime to achieve these lifestyles –e.g. Made in Chelsea
Glamourisation
TV shows such as Sopranos and Marco’s provide a glamorised view of the criminal lifestyle which can lead to people wanting to emulate it and be involved
Evaluation
While watching violent media images might have influenced some violent crimes, it is clear that thousands watch these programmes or play these video games without going on to commit criminal violence. Therefore, while it might influence people's behaviour,
it cannot be the sole cause of the crimes
Some argue that, far from people being desensitised by violent media, they are
sensitised
by it. If people see the horrific consequences of violent behaviour, they are less likely to act in a violent way
Pluralist and post‐modern sociologists argue that modern audiences are much more active than those portrayed by the hypodermic syringe model. They suggest that
audiences choose what to watch and how they wish to engage with it
There have been lots of
methodological criticisms of Bandura's study
. Some argue that the children merely learnt how to play with the doll, and they were aware that it was a harmless activity. There was
no reason to assume they would behave in similar ways outside the laboratory and with anything other than a doll