The Media as a Cause of Crime (AQA A Level Sociology): Revision Note

The media as a secondary agent of socialisation

• There has long been concern that the media can negatively shape attitudes, values and behaviour, especially among children

• Newsome (1994) claimed that violent media (e.g., horror films) can desensitise children to violence, making them more likely to imitate it

• Newsome saw the media as a powerful secondary agent of socialisation, influencing young people alongside family and school

The hypodermic syringe model

• Suggests the media directly injects values and norms into audiences, who are seen as passive

• Possible effects include:

  • imitation – copying deviant role models seen on screen

  • desensitisation – becoming less sensitive to violence after repeated exposure

  • arousal – stimulation from violent or sexual imagery

  • glamorisation – presenting crime as exciting, glamorous or rewarding

  • problem-solving – showing knowledge of criminal techniques

  • distrust of police – repeated portrayals of officers as corrupt or incompetent

• However, most studies find that exposure to media violence has only a small and limited effect on audiences

Fear of crime

• The media often exaggerates risks, encouraging the public to believe they are more likely to be victims than official statistics suggest

• Gerbner et al. (2002) found in the USA that heavy TV viewers (4+ hours a day) were more likely to believe they were at risk of crime ('mean world syndrome')

• Schlesinger & Tumber (1992) found a link between media use and fear of crime:

  • Tabloid readers and heavy TV users reported greater fear, especially of muggings and physical attacks

• Media coverage focuses on random, unpredictable attacks, which strengthens feelings of vulnerability

• Media-driven fears may not reflect reality, but can change behaviour, e.g.,

  • People already fearful of going out at night may stay in more

  • Staying in leads to more TV consumption, which reinforces their fears

The link between media content & crime

• Laboratory-based studies have often tested whether exposure to media portrayals of crime and deviance leads viewers to commit crime themselves

• These studies form part of the debate over whether the media can directly cause criminal behaviour

The media, relative deprivation & crime

• Left Realists argue that the media increases feelings of relative deprivation among poor and marginalised groups

• Lea & Young (1996) argue that:

  • the media promotes images of consumer lifestyles and the 'good life' of leisure, fun, and material goods

  • this raises expectations of wealth and success

  • when people feel excluded, they experience relative deprivation and social exclusion

• This frustration can lead to criminal behaviour, as some individuals may turn to crime to obtain the commodities they cannot get legitimately

Cultural criminology & the media

• Cultural criminology argues the media do more than encourage crime: they turn crime itself into a desirable commodity

• Hayward & Young (2012) argue that in a media-saturated society, the boundaries between reality and representation are blurred, e.g.,

  • Gang violence filmed for TikTok or YouTube

  • Crimes 'performed for the camera' (e.g., happy slapping, viral challenges)

  • Police body-cams both record crime and shape how police behave for audiences

• Crime is both committed and consumed as a media spectacle

Commodification of crime

• Late modern society emphasises consumption, excitement and immediacy

• Crime is used by the media and advertisers to sell products and lifestyles, especially to young people

• Crime and its thrills are packaged and marketed through films, music, video games, and fashion

• Popular culture glamorises deviant identities, e.g.,

  • 'Thug life' clothing

  • Perfume brands like Opium and Poison are exploiting 'forbidden' imagery

  • Gangster rap and crime-based video games

• Crime becomes not only an offence but also a symbol of style

Evaluation of the link between media content & crime

Strengths

• Large body of research evidence

  • Decades of studies show that media portrayals can have at least some influence on attitudes, fear of crime, and perceptions of risk

  • Real-world examples (e.g., the James Bulger case in the 1990s linked to the film Child’s Play 3) show how media portrayals are taken seriously in public debates about crime

• Practical examples

  • Media effects are often cited in policy debates and parental concerns, such as restrictions on video games (Grand Theft Auto) or films (A Clockwork Orange)

  • These examples show the media is widely believed to have at least some influence on behaviour, even if the effects are contested

Criticisms

• Too simplistic

  • Media effects research often assumes audiences are passive, failing to recognise differences in age, class, gender, or education

  • In reality, not everyone reacts in the same way — what influences one person may have no effect on another

• Other factors

  • Most experts argue that violence results from a complex mix of causes, not just media exposure

  • Factors such as poor socialisation, bad parenting, peer pressure, mental illness, or substance abuse are often more powerful influences

• Interpretivist criticism

  • Sparks (1992) notes that many media ignore the meanings audiences give to media content

  • Violence in cartoons, horror films, or news is interpreted differently by viewers, but the hypodermic syringe model wrongly assumes the effects are uniform

• Weak evidence

  • Cumberbatch (2011) reviewed 3,500+ studies and found no conclusive evidence linking media violence to real-life violence

  • Overall, he concludes that the evidence base is too weak to prove a causal link between media and crime