When discussing the fear of crime it is referred to the fear of being a victim of crime as opposed to the actual probability of being a victim of crime (Hale, 1996). Although the fear of crime can be differentiated into thoughts and behaviours about the personal risk of being a victim of crime, public feelings, and there are many differences that can be made between seeing the situations are fearful and the actual experience while being in those situations, also the media and how it reports crime can have an effect on the way people view fear of crime. Such as hearing about certain events that have taken place through the media and knowing that other individuals have been a victim tends to raise the perceptions of the risk of victimisation
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Cultivation theory was introduced in the 1970’s by George Gerbner, Gerbners research was based on the possible effects television could have on its viewers. It was concluded that high exposure to the media content could over a large time period would gradually implement attitudes in the audience that ‘are more consistent with the world of television programmes than with the everyday world’ (Chandler, 1995). Even though there is only a small amount of the population that tends to be involved with violent crimes, individuals that have very little or no personal experience with violent crimes tend to believe that there is a lot more danger in the world and it is meaner than it is within reality, these individuals are generally more afraid to become victimised than they actually need to be (Chandler, 1995). There has been more additional research that has taken place since the 1970’s, this research has shown that the media tends to only be one of a number of variables that has an influence on the attitudes of individual’s. Vanderveen suggests that ‘it is always multiple variables in the social sciences. All the minor roles together build a major role. The media are just one source. [they have] an effect but it is minor’ (2003). Why is this the case? Because there tends to be a number of other information sources that can be used for statistical data such as crime rates, however research shows that figures and facts do not that any influence on the perception of crime by individuals. However an individual’s personality and the factors that they have learned from friends, family members and also parents have to be taken into account as well as media reporting (McQuivey, 1997). There are problems within this theory as it is believed the
Cultivation theory was introduced in the 1970’s by George Gerbner, Gerbners research was based on the possible effects television could have on its viewers. It was concluded that high exposure to the media content could over a large time period would gradually implement attitudes in the audience that ‘are more consistent with the world of television programmes than with the everyday world’ (Chandler, 1995). Even though there is only a small amount of the population that tends to be involved with violent crimes, individuals that have very little or no personal experience with violent crimes tend to believe that there is a lot more danger in the world and it is meaner than it is within reality, these individuals are generally more afraid to become victimised than they actually need to be (Chandler, 1995). There has been more additional research that has taken place since the 1970’s, this research has shown that the media tends to only be one of a number of variables that has an influence on the attitudes of individual’s. Vanderveen suggests that ‘it is always multiple variables in the social sciences. All the minor roles together build a major role. The media are just one source. [they have] an effect but it is minor’ (2003). Why is this the case? Because there tends to be a number of other information sources that can be used for statistical data such as crime rates, however research shows that figures and facts do not that any influence on the perception of crime by individuals. However an individual’s personality and the factors that they have learned from friends, family members and also parents have to be taken into account as well as media reporting (McQuivey, 1997). There are problems within this theory as it is believed the