Media Representations of Crime

Media Representations of Crime

A quick search on google images produces these three images of crime. One interesting aspect of these images is the way gender is used, and what assumptions are made based upon gender. The first is that the three images featuring “criminals” portray men. This creates the assumption that if someone is a criminal, it is a man.

When a woman is shown in an image in regards to crime, it is in two capacities. The first is as the damsel in distress. This is shown in the third image. Unable to care for herself, this woman is the victim of crime. Thus, according to these images, crime is an act done by a man towards a woman. In the rare occasions that a woman is shown to be a criminal, it is as a femme fatale. She is dangerous, and often portrayed as an object of sexual desire. Although she is a criminal, she is not to be feared in the way that male criminals are.

The second aspect that these images share is the anonymity of crime. In the three images showing male criminals, their faces are either not shown, or they are obscured by sunglasses. This adds to the idea that anyone can be a criminal, and that no one is to be trusted. In these ways, the way that the media represents crime shapes people’s reactions to it. Many people assume that criminals are male. Also, these types of representation add to the idea that women should be fearful, because they are often presented as the victims of crime. In these ways, the media representations of crime affect the way people perceive crime.