Media Influence on Victim Disclosure

• In Event: Institutional Offending and Victimization

Abstract

Many researchers claim that the increase in reporting of abuse is due to an increase in public awareness of the problem at hand. By examining how the media generate public awareness through claims-makers, framing, and agenda-setting, this study illustrates the significant influence the media has on victims of crime. Using documented data between media influence on victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, this study attempts to identify the link between media exposure and victim disclosure of sexual abuse. The current study: 1) examines the differences in media reporting of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church during different periods of intense media coverage (1980s, 1990s, and 2000s); 2) compares the rates and characteristics of sexual abuse disclosure with general victimization data and examine the differences and/or similarities between the two groups; 3) examines any similar effect media publicity may have on the reporting of crimes other than those that are sexual in nature; and 4) examines the impact of the cycle of a scandal portrayed in the media that leads crime victims to disclose.

Author

• Laura Litvinoff, John Jay College of Criminal Justice / CUNY Graduate Center