True Crime Research Paper

Obsessions with True Crime: Do they have an negative impact on society? Could obsessions with the true crime genre have a negative impact on our society? True crime is one of the most rapidly growing genres in today’s society that includes an array of works ranging from novels to television series. Authors and directors thoroughly examine real-life crimes and the actions of real criminals through their own perspective in order to engage an audience. The intense stories of crime and criminals immediately draw in an audience of all ages, genders, and races. These novels, podcasts, documentaries, and television series are presented in a way that makes the audience feel as if they are not only engaging in something entertaining but also something

James Renner’s book, True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray, proves that obsession with true crime has a large effect on a person’s life. Renner actually does lose himself in the case of Maura Murray. He admits that he was slowly becoming a bad father, and he even begins drinking alcohol excessively. Renner is obsessed with this case and also has a lot going on in his home-life. While dealing with everything in his life, he writes, “Around this time I started smoking weed again”(Renner 144). Because he was so stressed out with the case and his personal experiences, he turned to marijuana and alcohol for relief from his stress. A.J. Marsden, an assistant professor of human services and psychology at Beacon College says, “Consuming this genre in excess can potentially increase your feelings of paranoia and inhibit you from taking risks, even minor ones”(Marsden). For example, some people may pass up opportunities to spend time with friends or family because they do not want to risk being in a threatening situation, like walking in a dark parking lot alone at night. This is extremely unhealthy because shutting people out can cause mental health issues. Marsden even admits that her true crime obsession caused a shift in her mood “from generally upbeat to melancholy”(Marsden). She also admits that she had a difficult time

Research shows that most people in the US get most of their impressions and knowledge about the criminal justice system through viewing television drama. “A 2009 study out of Perdue University found that watching cop shows…had an impact on what viewers thought about the criminal justice system”(Gold). Viewers tend to estimate way more deaths because of murder in the real world than non viewers estimate. The more people watch crime shows the more they believe that there is a higher crime rate in their society. A current study found that “those who watched crime dramas and viewed nonfictional crime shows had greater fear of crime and supported the death penalty more”(FYI Living). The study also found that those who had more fear of crime had less faith in the justice system. Viewers of crime dramas also misjudge the amount of law enforcement officers and attorneys in the total work force. When the shows “CSI” and “Law and Order” first became popular, the “CSI effect” was observed. Bernard Knight, formerly one of Britain’s chief pathologists, said that “because of television crime dramas, jurors today expect more categorical proof than forensic science is capable of delivering”(Knight). There have been several different studies to prove that the “CSI effect” is indeed real. The most obvious symptom of this effect is that jurors believe that they have enough knowledge of science they have