Social Construction of Crime Myths (From Criminal Justice in America: Theory, Practice, and Policy, P 373-389, 1996, Barry W Hancock and Paul M Sharp, eds. -- See NCJ-160206)

• NCJ Number: 160231
• Author(s): V Kappeler; M Blumberg; G Potter
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 17 pages
• Sale Source: Prentice-Hall, Inc
• Publication Type: Research (Theoretical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This chapter examines the processes by which crime events become distorted and receive unprecedented social consideration.

Abstract

"Crime myths" are usually created in nonscientific forums through the telling of crime-related fictions or sensational stories. These crime fictions often take on new meanings as they are told and retold and at some point evolve into accepted truth for many people. The fiction in crime myth comes not only from fabrication of events but from the transformation and distortion of events into social and political problems. Many contemporary issues of crime and justice are the product of some real event or social concern. Most crime mythology is the product of breakdowns in logic, contradiction, and distortion. As crime-related issues are debated, shaped, and reshaped in public forums, they become distorted into myth. Characterizations common among myths in crime and criminal justice include the identification and targeting of a distinct deviant population; the presence of an "innocent," "virtuous," or "helpless" victim population; and the existence of a substantial threat to established norms, values, or traditional lifestyles. Crime myths are often built around unpopular groups in society. This targeting helps to ensure sustained support for a myth. Unpopular groups in society are particularly vulnerable as possible targets of mythical fears. Groups most vulnerable to myth targeting are those that are easily distinguishable from the dominant social group. Fear of minorities, foreigners, and differences in cultural or religious values has led to the creation of some shocking myths of organized crime, for example. Mythmakers are varied and their roles are not static. Sometimes the government is the mythmaker and the media responds to the official myth. Other times the government responds to the myths created by the media or special interest groups. The uniqueness of the origins, detection, construction, and consequence of crime myths requires that they receive individualized analysis. 23 references, discussion questions, and suggested student applications of the chapter material