Intro to Crime and Criminology

Introduction to Crime and Criminology

• The unit aims to define crime, differentiate it from deviance, and discuss the media's influence on societal perspectives of crime.

Key Concepts

• The juridical definition of crime states: Crime is any illegal action (Actus Reus) done by a person with intent (Mens Rea) and is punishable by law.
• The non-juridical definition of crime states: Crime is a violation of behavioral norms, social harm, and/or social deviance, and is not necessarily illegal.
• Criminalization is converting a non-juridical act into a juridical crime through law.
• Decriminalization is when a previously juridical crime is made no longer illegal.

Crime and the Media

• Three contemporary concerns linked to entertainment crime media include the effect of crime media on consumer perceptions, the impact of real-world offenders, and the influence of new social media.
• South Africa is always being highlighted for it's crime activity within the media, including TV, newspapers, radio, magazines, and social media platforms.
• Sensationalized crimes or criminals receive greater publicity and coverage.
• Crime and criminals have become popular entertainment plots since the 19th century.
• Media outlets that depict criminal stories are called "infotainment" because they provide sensationalized information mixed with entertainment.
• Crime-reality shows which blend "real" stories with entertainment have risen in the last two decades.
• Media often distorts the reflection of crime within society and its response.
• Journalists and the media often exaggerate reality for viewership, glamourizing crimes like gang violence.
• Certain online news outlets cover criminal cases and crime within South Africa daily, making audiences and public believe it is a norm.
• A constant belief is the crime rate within South Africa is rising, although statistics show it's decreasing for certain crimes..

Impact of Crime Media

• The first and biggest concern with media and crime content is the effect it may have on audiences
• Concern lies in content, because it may contribute towards the inordinate fear of crime
• The exposure to crime can lead to the second concern
• Television shows and media coverage of real court cases can also have a major effect
• The world adopted USA's views on people of Islamic faith after 9/11, especially when it comes to airports.
• Media constructs often portray offenders with certain characteristics, like animalistic, irrational, impulsive, unattractive and predators who commit violent and senseless crime
• Media can lead to negative stereotyping and labelling which may lead to prejudice against certain groups or individuals

Fear of Crime

• Media is often blamed for fuelling the publics fear of crime
• An individual's fear depends on how informed they are about current crime or personal experience
• People who read and keep up to date with crime in the media tend to be more fearful than those who don't
• Although the overall crime rate in South Africa is decreasing, residents still show a high level of fear.
• People tend to have a higher fear of crime while in public locations
• Individuals who have been previously victimised have a higher fear of crime.

The Impact of Real-World Offenders

• There is an ongoing debate on whether media causes crime or if crime media exposure precedes criminal behavior.
• Two-thirds of people feel that violence in the media, particularly on television, is a major cause of crime.
• 14% feel that movies, the internet, and social media can primarily influence people's behavior and lead to gun violence.
• Perpetrators are often exposed to media content of an original crime, encouraging a copycat one.
• Due to advancing technology, copycat crimes are becoming more frequent since international borders are no longer obstacles.
• People with access to social media seek curious content, which can cause the streaming of terrorist attacks to gang violence.

Cases of the Copycat Effect

• Chris Harper Mercer murdered 10 and wounded 9 others at a community college in February 2015, admired the Virginia killer and and was impressed by his social media achievement.
• Thierry Jaradin, who stabbed a school girl 30x after she refused his advances, leaving a particular that closely mirrored a wound shown in the Scream movie.

Reducing Crime

• South Africa has two policies guiding crime reduction: The National Crime Prevention Strategy and The White Paper on Safety and Security.
• • The White Paper addresses the shortfall of the National Crime Prevention Strategy policy and deepens the government's policy approach to crime reduction.
• • The White Paper provides strategic priorities for dealing with crime and discusses the roles of role players, including the police.
• • It also discusses suggestions on internal crime reduction in municipalities and how to work with local police and community policing forums.
• Effective crime reduction requires full participation, constant policy revision, and feedback while policy implementation needs to be at a government and local level.