The Media as a Cause of Crime 1

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  • The Media as a Cause of Crime 1
    • The Hypodermic Syringe Model (Theory 1)
      • This theory suggests that there are several ways in which the media 'injects' its influence on the viewer, thus allowing for further instances of C&D to occur including the following:
        • Imitation
          • By providing deviant role models, resulting in copy cat behaviour
        • Desensitisation
          • Not seen as such a big deal because the media is so violent is desensitises people
        • Knowledge transmission
          • Transmission of criminal techniques to the media consumer
        • Stimulating desire for unaffordable goods
          • Transmitted through advertising to the media consumer
        • Glamorising offending
          • Shows offenders as having a luxurious lifestyle
      • Evaluation of the Hypodermic Syringe Model
        • Weaknesses
          • Schramm et al (1961) argues that "for some children under some circumstances some television is harmful. For some under the same circumstances, it may be beneficial. For most neither particularly harmful nor particularly beneficial"
          • Livingstone (1996) Suggests that despite the lack of evidence of the link between media and criminal behaviour, people continue to be pre occupied with the impact of media on children
          • Deterministic as it suggests exposure to crime in the media causes criminal behaviour
    • The Media and Relative Deprivation (Theory 2)
      • Left realists argue the mass media helps increase the sense of relative deprivation among poor and marginalised social groups
      • Merton (1973) argues that pressures to conform to the societal norms can cause deviant behaviour when the opportunities to achieve materialistic goals through legitimate goals are blocked
      • People are shown unrealistic portrayals of wealth which causes them to feel poor relative to them
      • Evaluation of The Media and Relative Deprivation
        • Strengths
          • Merton supports this idea of the pressure to pursue wealth in our society and when legitimate opportunities are blocked we turn to C&D and the media sets this goal and this promotes crime
        • Weaknesses
          • This explanation of the relationship between the media and crime can be considered deterministic as it suggests all low income people will commit crime when exposed to lavish lifestyles

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