Mass Media and Fear of Crime

Bibliographic Data

ID3759145
AuthorsLinda Heath (0000-0002-1628-1981, Loyola University Chicago), Kevin Gilbert (Loyola University Chicago), Kevin Lee Gilbert (Loyola University Chicago)
Year1996
Volume39
Issue4
Pages379-386
Publication date1996-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Behavioral Scientist (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-7642 • E-ISSN: 1552-3381
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0002764296039004003
OpenAlexW113225714
LanguageEN
Citations received60
References cited35

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

Advertising · Business · Criminology · Fear of crime · Mass media · Political science · Sociology · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · Psychology · Social Psychology

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