He's a Monster: Online Discussions of Crime

• In Event: Posters I

Abstract

This paper explains patterns of internet crime solving behavior. We conduct a content analysis of a website dedicated to discussions of crime including: unsolved cases, missing persons, criminal trials and ongoing investigations. We first analyze factors that impact the popularity of cases including characteristics of the victim, characteristics of the offender, and characteristics of the crime. Next, we look at the substantive comments on the website in order to explain how people engage in meaning-making surrounding issues of crime. This paper sheds light on how people actively interpret and engage with true crime stories. It also has implications for the study of community-building in online spaces.

Authors

• Christine Zozula, University of Rhode Island

• Julia Uber, Roger Williams University