Chapter 10
THE INFLUENCE OF TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA, & POPULAR CULTURE
ON CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR: COPYCAT CRIME & CYBERCRIME
Short Answer/Essay
1. Examining the technological advances to date, what types of crimes have increased? What can be done to decrease these crimes?
2. Sparks & Sparks (2002) identify six theoretical mechanisms in the media violence literature that have enhanced our understanding of the influence of violent media. List and discuss these six theoretical mechanisms.
3. Explain the “continuum of influence” of media and pop culture discussed in the chapter.
4. The role of celebrities in the age of mass technology is an important consideration in exploring the dynamics of copycat crime. Discuss the relationship between technology, crime as art, and and celebrity obsession and criminal behavior. What role does celebrity obsession play in criminal behavior?
5. Research has shown that media has an effect on violence. Do you think that there should be stricter regulations on violence in the media? Discuss.
6. Keeping in mind that many crimes today have some sort of new technology involved, is it important for new police officers to enter into low enforcement with these skills and for those who are already in law enforcement, is it important for them to have intensive training to keep up with technological advances? Discuss.
7. List and describe the different types of computer hackers and their motivations.
8. Compare and contrast the various categories of crime that can be committed through the use of the computer.
Essay
1. It is suggested in this chapter that mass media and computer technology can be thought of as a dynamic risk factor for criminal behavior. Explain how technology influences criminal behavior and discuss whether or not you agree/disagree that it is important for criminologists to focus attention to the role of technology in shaping crime in the 21st century.
2. Are copycat crime and cyber crime meaningful (and homogeneous) crime categories? Are these types of crime best viewed theoretically as subtypes or supertypes of criminal behavior? Discuss.
3. Review the different cultural artifacts that have been linked to copycat cases in Box 10.1. What, if any conclusions can be drawn from examining this list of anecdotal evidence? If you were asked to design an empirical study to examine the copycat phenomenon, how would you design such a study?
4. One interesting question to consider is whether or not children who are born and grow up with mass media technology in the 21st century are more or less likely to be negatively-criminogenically influenced by it. Do children who grow in a world where media technology is a normal part of everyday life have a healthier relationship to media than individuals who grew up in the 20th century? Discuss.
5. As computer technology becomes more sophisticated and video and other virtual reality games more realistic, do you think there will be more/less potential for cathartic versus criminogenic effects of virtual violence? Discuss.