Victimization Portrayals on Popular Crime Shows & Comparisons to the NCVS

Crime shows have been airing on television for over 70 years and we continuously find said shows to have high rates of viewership. But how accurate are the portrayals depicted in said shows? This research analyzes crime show drama portrayals of victimization across two time periods by analyzing 270...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Victims & offenders 2024-02, Vol.19 (2), p.208-231
Main Author: Whiteford, Sarah G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access
Age
Crime
crime show
Criminal investigations
Drama
Ethnicity
Gender
Law enforcement
Marital status
media portrayal
NCVS
Occupations
Offenders
Popularity
Race
Television
Time
Victim offender relations
Victimization
Victims
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Summary:Crime shows have been airing on television for over 70 years and we continuously find said shows to have high rates of viewership. But how accurate are the portrayals depicted in said shows? This research analyzes crime show drama portrayals of victimization across two time periods by analyzing 270 episodes from 11 different crime drama television series in which a clear criminal event is followed by a law enforcement investigation. Shows were chosen at Time 1 for inclusion based on popularity, longevity, accessibility, and recency; Time 2 data included a 5-year follow-up to any of the Time 1 shows still in production. Demographics and background characteristics of victims are analyzed including gender, age, race/ethnicity, occupation, military/law enforcement affiliation, parental/marital status, and prior victimization. Additionally, the relationship between offender and victim, whether the victimization was actually portrayed in the show, whether the victim was held captive, and if the victim ultimately survived or died are also addressed. Findings are discussed in comparison to what previous research from the National Crime Victimization Survey indicates actual victimization patterns to be.
ISSN:1556-4886
1556-4991
DOI:10.1080/15564886.2022.2112639