Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Mayo Clinic researchers find popular television shows inaccurately portray violent crime

Mayo Clinic researchers find popular television shows inaccurately portray violent crime

May 20, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO -- Researchers at Mayo Clinic compared two popular television shows, CSI and CSI: Miami, to actual U.S. homicide data, and discovered clear differences between media portrayals of violent deaths versus actual murders. This study complements previous research regarding media influences on public health perception. Mayo Clinic researchers present their findings today at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting in San Francisco.

Previous studies have indicated television influences individual health behaviors and public health perceptions. Timothy Lineberry, M.D., a psychiatrist at Mayo Clinic, says "We make a lot of our decisions as a society based on information that we have, and television has been used to provide public health messages." Researchers chose to compare the crimes on CSI and CSI: Miami to real homicides because of the shows' combined audiences of more than 43 million viewers annually. They sought to determine how representative the portrayal of violent death crimes on the two series compared with data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National Violent Death Reporting System.




When researchers compared the shows to the CDC data, they discovered the strongest misrepresentations were related to alcohol use, relationships, and race among perpetrators and victims. Previous studies of actual statistics have shown that both perpetrator and victim were often under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs when the crime occurred, differing from what the shows portrayed. Also, CSI and CSI: Miami were more likely to have described the victim and the attacker as Caucasian, which is misrepresentative. Finally, according to the CDC data, homicide victims typically knew their assailant; however, the television series were more likely to have portrayed the perpetrator as a stranger. All of these findings were significantly different when compared to the data.

Dr. Lineberry says, "If we believe that there is a lack of association with alcohol, that strangers are more likely to attack, and that homicide doesn't represent particular groups of people, it's difficult to create public health interventions that the general public supports." Other authors contributing to this study included Christopher Janish and Melanie Buskirk, both from Mayo Medical School.

Mayo Clinic



Related Violent Crime Current Events and Violent Crime News Articles Violent Crime Current Events and Violent Crime News RSS Violent Crime Current Events and Violent Crime News RSS
While adolescents may reason as well as adults, their emotional maturity lags, says new research
A 16-year-old might be quite capable of making an informed decision about whether to end a pregnancy - a decision likely to be made after due consideration and consultation with an adult - but this same adolescent may not possess the maturity to be held to adult levels of responsibility if she commits a violent crime, according to new research into adolescent psychological development.

Believing is seeing
Folk wisdom usually has it that "seeing is believing," but new research suggests that "believing is seeing," too - at least when it comes to perceiving other people's emotions.

Psychologists offer ways to improve prison environment, reduce violent crime
U.S. prisons are too punitive and often fail to rehabilitate, but targeting prisoners' behavior, reducing prison populations and offering job skills could reduce prisoner aggression and prevent recidivism, a researcher told the American Psychological Association on Saturday.

Glucose metabolism and recidivism of severe violent crimes in alcohol intoxications
It is commonly known that alcoholism and alcohol intoxications are connected with severe violent crimes such as homicides.

Unsafe neighborhoods disable the elderly
Elderly people who live below the poverty line and perceive their neighborhoods to be dangerous are more likely to have a mobility disability.

Schizophrenia does not increase risk of violent crime
A new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet and the University of Oxford finds that the severe mental disorder schizophrenia only marginally increases the risk of committing violent crime.

Substance abuse factor in higher risk of violent crime by persons with schizophrenia
The increased risk of persons with schizophrenia committing violent crime may be largely mediated by co-existing substance abuse problems.

'Don't drink and ride': Improving subway safety
Structural interventions and public safety messages may be the most effective ways to prevent subway fatalities and improve the overall safety of New York City subway systems.

Female sex offenders often have mental problems
Women who commit sexual offences are just as likely to have mental problems or drug addictions as other violent female criminals. This according to the largest study ever conducted of women convicted of sexual offences in Sweden.

Emotional memories can be suppressed with practice, new CU-Boulder study says
A new University of Colorado at Boulder study shows people have the ability to suppress emotional memories with practice, which has implications for those suffering from conditions ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to depression.
More Violent Crime Current Events and Violent Crime News Articles
Violent Crime: Clinical and Social Implications

Violent Crime: Clinical and Social Implications
by Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson (Editor)

Offering a unique and interdisciplinary focus on the roots of violence, Violent Crime: Clinical and Social Implications explores cutting-edge research on the etiology, nature, assessment, and treatment of individuals who commit violent crimes. This edited volume covers the foundations of criminal behavior, offers a balanced discussion of both environmental and biological research, and includes articles written by top researchers and scholars in the field. In Part I, Violent Crime examines the origins of violence, including family and other social factors, media violence, genetics, biochemistry, and head injuries. Part II delves into research on specific subgroups of offenders, including sex offenders, domestic violence perpetrators, murderers, and serial murderers. Part III focuses on...

Violent City

Violent City
Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Michel Constantin, Telly Savalas, Umberto Orsini
Directed By: Sergio Sollima

Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 05/03/2005

A Benefit for Victims of Violent Crime

A Benefit for Victims of Violent Crime
by Anti-Flag

Fresh on the heels of the "War Sucks, Let's Party" tour, ANTI-FLAG assembled this brand new EP to benefit a very important cause. This past winter, bassist Chris #2's family experienced the horror of losing a family member when his sister fell victim to violent crime, leaving behind a young daughter and son. We all have our own gut reactions when faced with tragedy. Anti-Flag’s was to put together this limited edition benefit E.P. in hopes it would help others who have gone through similar situations. The proceeds will be going to the The Center for Victims of Violence and Crime (www.cvvc.org) as well as educational bonds. "A Benefit for Victims of Violent Crime" features five new Anti-Flag studio tracks along with five live songs recorded at Pittsburgh's Mr. Smalls this past April. The...

Stopping Violent Crime: New Directions for Reduction & Prevention [VHS]

Stopping Violent Crime: New Directions for Reduction & Prevention [VHS]
Starring: Arthur R. Miller



Violent Crime / TIME Cover: March 23, 1981, Art Poster by TIME Magazine

Violent Crime / TIME Cover: March 23, 1981, Art Poster by TIME Magazine
by barewalls

The most eagerly awaited event in the editorial cycle at TIME Magazine is always the selection of the cover. The best covers capture the zeitgeist of the week while surviving the judgment of history. As browsing this collection of TIME cover art prints shows, TIME is as good a record as any of who and what mattered over the past 80-plus years. And so when TIME captures a person, an event or a trend within its iconic red borders, the magazine is adding that extra dose of significance that no other publication can quite match. That is one reason why the original artwork for more than 800 TIME covers now resides in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington. Thanks to an amazing roster of artists, photographers and graphic designers, from TIME's earliest charcoal drawings of cover subjects...

A Benefit for Victims of Violent Crime

A Benefit for Victims of Violent Crime
Anti-Flag (Primary Contributor)



Problem Child

Problem Child
Also With: James Duff (Producer), Greer Shephard (Producer), Michael M. Robin (Producer)



Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool

Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool
by Ronald M. Holmes (Editor), Stephen T. Holmes (Editor)

"Excellent book, I have used this for my Criminal Behavior course for a number of years. Very authoritative."
-Harry Cramer, Quincy University

The Fourth Edition of this best-selling text provides students with the most up-to-date information on the increasingly popular field of psychological profiling. Well-known authors Ronald M. Holmes and Stephen T. Holmes build upon their continued research and involvement in field investigation as a source of relevant and often high-profile case studies to illustrate theory and application of the methods discussed. The text is particularly readable and engaging, making frequent use of illustrative tables and figures and presenting occasional photos.

New to the Fourth Edition

Offers a new chapter on Lizzie Borden...

Violent City

Violent City
Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Telly Savalas, Michel Constantin
Directed By: Sergio Sollima
Also With: Ennio Morricone (Composer)

In A City Set To Explode, One Man Has Just Lit The Fuse

After a bloody double-cross leaves him for dead, professional hit man Jeff (Charles Bronson) tracks the shooter and his beautiful mistress (Jill Ireland) to New Orleans. But when Jeff takes both revenge and the woman, he finds himself blackmailed by a powerful crime boss (Telly Savalas) who wants the fiercely independent gunman to join his organization. Jeff refuses, and is hunted through an unforgiving city where love is like a loaded gun and debts of vengeance are paid in bullets.

This is no ordinary Bronson movie! Inspired by Jean-Pierre Melville's LE SAMOURAI and originally released in the U.S. as THE FAMILY, VIOLENT CITY is packed with savage action and a shocking twist ending. Directed by Sergio Sollima (REVOLVER, THE BIG...

The Social Reality of Violence and Violent Crime

The Social Reality of Violence and Violent Crime
by Henry H. Brownstein (Author)

This book is written in the form of stories that individually and collectively describe violence and violent crime in America in the twentieth century. Because violence means different things to different people, this book attempts to show the many ways in which we as a society think about violence and how these perceptions have developed in our society during the twentieth century. Weaving a personal narrative style together with official statistics, media reports, research findings, and first-hand accounts, the author illustrates the American experience and the social construction of various forms of violence. Since the language of social constructionism is often difficult to understand, this book utilizes simple explanations of how violence and violent crime are socially...

© 2009 BrightSurf.com