Factors Influencing Public Perception of Crime: Criminology Essay

This criminology essay delves into the multifaceted factors that shape public perception of crime and influence national crime prevention policies. It identifies mass media as a primary driver, examining how media portrayals of criminals, victims, and law enforcement construct the criminal justice system and impact public fear and attitudes. The essay also explores the influence of the nature of criminal acts, the location of crimes, and the rhetoric of politicians, demonstrating how these elements contribute to shifts in public perception. Furthermore, it investigates the role of the handling of criminal offenders by the police. By analyzing these factors, the essay highlights their collective impact on the formation of national crime policies and strategies aimed at curbing criminal activities and fostering positive public attitudes toward crime and justice.

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Criminology
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CRIMINOLOGY 2
Criminology
List and describe several factors that are most important in shaping the public perception
of crime and in influencing national crime prevention policies.
The public perception about crimes is typically shaped by a variety of factors. Some of
these factors help in the prevention of national crimes since they offer valuable information
which influences the type of policies formulated for crime prevention. A typical factor which has
been seen to be at the forefront of shaping up the different views of the public about crimes is
media. The mass media is generally responsible for the construction of the criminal justice
system and criminality (Welsh & Harris, 2016). Also, the portrayal in the mass media determines
the public’s perception about law enforcement officials, victims, criminals, and deviants. The
other factors include nature of the crime committed, the location of occurrence of a particular
crime and even the politicians among others. Based on the Canadian criminology, the factors
which influence the public perception on crimes are as discussed in the paper below;
Nature of the Criminal Act
Generally, the nature of a particular criminal activity tends to have an impact on the
different views of the public, and this entails changing their perception. Often, some of the
biggest crime-related stories can create shock and drama among the public. Such stories tend to
cause fear among different individuals (Surette, 2014). Further, the nature of criminal activity
can cause individuals to think that criminal activities are on the rise even if in the real sense that
is not the case. It can, therefore, be concluded that the specific nature of any particular criminal
act can influence the perception of the public about crimes and hence the national crime policies
will be formulated based on such opinions of the people.

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Mass Media
Based on a study which was conducted, it was found that the media influences the
attitude of fear among the public using the news it spreads across the globe. Also, it was found
out that the criminal activities which are displayed in the media channel such as television tends
to be more violent and hence dangerous than the crimes in the real world causing fear among the
public about crimes (Wall, 2015). The perceptions of the public generated by mass media have
been considered to contain certain features such as alienation, mistrust, and cynicism which are
typically believed to be higher than the normal levels of threats of criminal activities in the
community. Generally, there are the features of the public and message spread by the mass
media determines a lot on the relationship which exists between the criminal activity and the
presentations of the mass media.
The mass media typically offers public knowledge on crimes and justice and it, therefore,
has a crucial responsibility in the creation of the criminal justice system and criminality. The
perception of the public on law enforcement officials, victims, criminals, and deviants largely
depend on the information portrayed in the mass media (Spalek, 2016). According to recent
research on mass media, it was found out that it typically results in the development of a variety
of attitudes by the public about crimes and justice. Most often, the media has been blamed for the
differences existing between reality and crimes. For example, there are times in which some of
the journalists put a lot of focus on the negative news leaving the positive news and stories.
Another example could be that news and stories relating to a decline in the crime rates are just
mentioned by the journalist.

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However, when the crime rates are continually rising, there is often headlines concerning
the particular crimes for many days and weeks, and this is typically about the interest of the
public and nature of the crime (Roberts, 2018). With such constant news and headlines on a
particular criminal activity.there will be a change in the perception of the public about crimes
which will eventually influence their attitudes. Also, the national policies relating to crimes will
be affected by the mass media resulting in the formulation of those strategies which will focus on
elimination of negative attitudes of the public about crimes.
Politicians
When polls are typically near, most of the politicians tend to use the sensational nature of
criminal activities in a particular country in driving different individuals to the polls. The
particular nature of a crime is used by the politicians as a tool for attacking their political
opponent which is based on their record of criminal justice. The politicians are seen to emphasize
crimes in their rhetoric (McCombs, 2018). According to certain experts, such rhetoric made by
the politicians can influence the people's perceptions on crimes such that they could be made to
believe that the various criminal activities carried out by different individuals could be worse
than they are.
The information provided to the people by the politicians can typically make different
individuals believe that the law enforcement is not working as is expected of them. The
individual will, therefore, begin to develop a belief that the various criminal activities cannot be
controlled and this is even though the people do not witness real criminal activities taking place
in their environment (Lewis, 2017).

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Location of Criminal Activity
The location of particular criminal activity is another important factor which influences
the perception of the public on crimes. When a particular criminal activity has been carried out in
a certain location which is closer to various individuals, such people will feel endangered thus
unsafe (Kappeler & Potter, 2017). On the other hand, in areas with low crime rates, the people
who stay there may suffer from severe shock when particular criminal activity has been carried
out closer to their homesteads. It can be concluded that with one particular crime in a certain
place, the public perception of crimes can be changed irrespective of the size and nature of the
criminal activity. It will not typically matter whether the crime is statistically significant or not.
Nature of the Criminal Activity
According to Hawkins & Weis (2017), the specific nature of the crime is also another
fundamental factor which influences the public perception about crimes and the criminal justice
system. When there is a big crime which has been committed by certain criminal offenders, it
will frighten other people who will typically develop negative attitudes towards crimes. Also,
often when there are bigger headlines relating to varied criminal stories, it will be associated with
a lot of shock and dramas. Such frightening stories about crimes all over tend to cause fear
among people. There will be those individuals who will develop a feeling that there is a rise in
the criminal activities even if that is not the case and this will eventually result in a bad
perception by the public about crimes in any given area.
Handling of Criminal Offenders by the Police
When individuals who have committed different crimes are arrested and thereafter
prosecuted, the people will develop a positive perception about crimes since they are handled in
the right manner (Bradford & Myhill, 2015). However, when crimes go unpunishable, and the

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criminals are left to terrorize the public, the views of the public will be negative due to the
corrupt nature of the officers who handle crimes. There will, therefore, be a loss of confidence in
the existing criminal justice system and hence no vital information will be provided to the police
by the public.
Based on the above mentioned factors which influence the public perception about
criminal activities, it is easy for the national government to develop various policies and
strategies aimed at curbing criminal activities. When the criminal activities have been reduced,
the public opinion will typically change and hence form a positive attitude towards crimes.

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References
Bradford, B., & Myhill, A. (2015). Triggers of change to public confidence in the police and
criminal justice system: Findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales panel
experiment. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 15(1), 23-43.
Hawkins, J. D., & Weis, J. G. (2017). The social development model: An integrated approach to
delinquency prevention. In Developmental and Life-course Criminological Theories (pp.
3-27). Routledge.
Kappeler, V. E., & Potter, G. W. (2017). The mythology of crime and criminal justice. Waveland
Press.
Lewis, D. A. (2017). Fear of crime: Incivility and the production of a social problem. Routledge.
McCombs, M. (2018). Setting the agenda: Mass media and public opinion. John Wiley & Sons.
Roberts, J. (2018). Public opinion, crime, and criminal justice. Routledge.
Spalek, B. (2016). Crime victims: Theory, policy and practice. Macmillan International Higher
Education.
Surette, R. (2014). Media, crime, and criminal justice. Nelson Education.
Wall, D. S. (2015). The Internet as a conduit for criminal activity.
Welsh, W. N., & Harris, P. W. (2016). Criminal Justice Policy and Planning: Planned Change.
Routledge.