The Influence Of Copycat Crime

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Acts of brutal behavior in today’s entertainment business have been on the rise. With a growing number of impressionable young people, these types of behavior perpetuate crimes and sensationalize tragedies such as suicide. According to Jacqueline B. Helfgott, “Copycat crime has been defined as a crime that is inspired by another crime. To be a copycat, a crime “must have been inspired by an earlier, publicized crime — that is, there must be a pair of crimes linked by the media” (helfgott 51). American entertainment is indeed too violent. It has the possibility to glorify murder, suicide, and drug use. According to Helfgott, “Early references to copycat phenomenon appears in the 1800s involving behaviors thought to be inspired by books” (Helfgott …show more content…

Helfgott reports, “Natural Born Killers includes a barrage of past criminal events, including the Charles Whitman killing spree at the University of Texas in 1966, the Manson murders, the Rodney King beating, Richard Ramirez, and the Mendez Brothers, O.J Simpson, and Lorena Bobbitt trials moving back and forth from the fictional characters/storyline to real-life violent media events.” Having the freedom of watching types of shows like this, out in the open, are what trigger tragic events. News, as well, can drive someone into committing a gruesome attack. News reports are broadcast worldwide, and some reports present graphic content and the newscasters tend to thoroughly give an explanation to the case. The detailed story being given will assists with guiding those who are mentally unstable and are on the brink of …show more content…

Positive associations between media violence and aggressive thoughts, hostile emotions, and aggressive or violent behavior have been found repeatedly, in both children and adults, in studies using a variety of methods, including laboratory and field experiments, cross-sectional studies, and longitudinal research” (Jones, Cunningham, and Gallagher 11). Children are taken care of by those that are older. Children are taught what to do and what not to do. However, not all adolescents have the chance to be raised right. They become exposed to violence in or out of their household, and they capture the cruel acts through media and are persuaded into thinking it’s normal. Some groups believe violence in media is not powerful enough to influence a rebellious behavior on society, especially on young teens. However, the advertisement in the different types of media does have the ability to influence the mind of the young. It is monkey see, monkey do. It can be represented from what is learned from their caretaker. If a child witnesses’ violence in their household, they will follow down the same path unless change

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