CRIMINOLOGY

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CRIMINOLOGY

• CHAPTER 2

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Introduction

• News media
• Our opinions about crime and criminal justice
  have an impact on public policy on crime

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Group Exercise

• Complete the questions individually.
• Then compare and discuss in groups.
• Report answers.
• Compare to actual.

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Actual Facts

• Less than 10
• 10 - 20 of police officer time on crime.
• 16,000 homicides per year.
• 17,000 die from illegal drug use.
• Less than 10 of felonies lead to prison time.
• White male 20 year old.

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When does news media coverage go too far?

• Video ABC NEWS 20/20 Media Hype When News
  Coverage Goes Too Far

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A Brief Look Back

• 1830s Mob violence
• 1920s crime boom Roaring Twenties.
• 1967 Presidents Commission on Law Enforcement
  and Administration of Justice
• Crime has always been a serious problem
  politicians have used it to get elected. (George
  H.W. Bush)

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(No Transcript)
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Major Media Event - 1932
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Bruno Hauptmann Convicted and Executed
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http//livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us/election
/index.php?ad_id944

• William R. Horton Jr. is a convicted felon who
  was the subject of a Massachusetts weekend
  furlough program that released him while serving
  a life sentence for murder, providing him the
  opportunity to commit a rape and armed robbery. A
  political advertisement during the 1988 U.S.
  Presidential race was critical of the Democratic
  nominee Governor Michael Dukakis for his support
  of the program.

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TELEVISION NEWS

• Video of news interview on pursuits.
• Nightly news focus on crime.

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Media Crime

• OFF BALANCE YOUTH, RACE CRIME IN THE NEWS.
• AVAILABLE AT www.buildingblocksforyouth.org.

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OFF BALANCE

• The news media reports on crime are out of
  balance.

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OFF BALANCE

• Crime coverage has increased while real crime
  rates have fallen.

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OFF BALANCE

• Most media reports on youth are focused on crimes
  of violence.

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Media Research Youth

• Did you identify anything you agree with in the
  report?
• Do the same factors apply to adults portrayed in
  the media.
• Criminals?
• Victims?
• Stereotyping?

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Public Opinion and Crime Policy

• Feature of democratic theory is policy decisions
  by public officials should reflect public opinion
• Criticism is politicians are influenced by small,
  wealthy group rather than general public
• Another criticism is majority of public opinion
  violates democratic principles of fairness

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• Public opinion is often inaccurate
• Erroneous opinions about crime and criminal
  justice influence policies
• What if racial prejudice affects public views
  about crime?

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Public Attitudes About Crime

• www.prenhall.com/cybrary
• Search for research on public attitudes about
  crime and report what you find.

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News Media Coverage of Crime and Criminal Justice

• Overdramatization of Crime
• Crime waves media suddenly devotes much
  attention to small number of crimes
• Heavy coverage increases fear of crime
• Heavy coverage of uncommon crimes (i.e. poisoned
  Halloween candy, kidnapping children)

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Overreporting of (violent) crime

• Research study indicated crime most common type
  of story on TV among 13 U.S. cities
• Focus on violent crime, especially homicide
• Cover crimes that occur the least

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Crime Myths

• Crime myths False beliefs about crime
• Crime is rampant
• Crime is overly violent
• Minorities are more heavily involved in crime and
  drugs
• Teenagers are heavily involved in violent crime
• Crime victims are particularly virtuous

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Other Problems in Media Coverage

• Selecting people to interview that support
  reporters point of view
• Using value-laden language
• Presenting misleading data
• Neglecting various forms of white collar crime
• Failing to provide social and/or historical
  context
• Biased picture of certain aspects of crime

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Effects of Media Coverage

• Contributes to public ignorance
• Increases public fear and concern
• Obscures underlying forces
• Diverts attention from white collar crime
• Racial and ethnic stereotyping

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Research on Public Beliefs about Crime and
Punishment

• Fear of Crime
• Structural factors concern the social and
  physical characteristics of locations where
  people live
• Fear is generally higher in dilapidated minority
  neighborhoods
• The larger the population, the greater the fear
  of crime

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Seriousness of Crime

• Public judgments of seriousness of crime are
  important for several reasons
• Reflect the value placed on human life/personal
  property
• Affect individuals views on punishment
• Help determine appropriate penalties for
  offenders

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Punitiveness

• The Death Penalty
• Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for
  people convicted of murder?
• Do you favor or oppose the death penalty for
  people convicted of murder, or do you favor life
  imprisonment without parole?

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Views About Police

• Satisfaction with police is lower than one might
  expect
• Demographic variations with respect to
  satisfaction ratings
• African Americans rate police more negatively
  than Whites
• Age and income differences

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Individual characteristics

• demographic variable
• Age (i.e. elderly more likely to fear crime than
  younger people)
• Gender affects fear of crime
• Race (i.e. blacks are more fearful compared to
  whites)

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Consequences of Fear

• Paralyzes society
• Weakens social ties within the community
• Threatens economic viability of neighborhoods
• Influences public policy
• Affects individuals daily lives

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Next Class

• Read Chapter 3.
• Group Research Project
• 1. UCR NIBRS crime reporting system.
• 2. National Crime Victimization Survey.
• 3. Self-report surveys.
• Write a one page report on your assigned crime
  data system.