The Media, Gender-Based Violence & Women's Fear of Crime: An Exploratory, Interview-Based Study.

While the fear of crime in women has been researched, it is often reduced to a fear of the looming threat of sexual assault. There is insufficient research on the external factors that can affect the way women fear crime. Therefore, this study investigates whether media depictions of violence against women have any effect on the way they fear crime. Most types of media graphically depict violence against women, but they often misrepresent the realities of this type of violence. As such, this study aims to explore these depictions and their effects on women and their fear of crime. Seven semi-structured interviews with female university students between the ages of 20-30 were conducted for this study. Through the examination of these interviews, it is discovered that there is evidence that both graphic and non-graphic media depictions of violence against women have a negative effect on the way women fear crime. However, it was also discovered that forms of factual media, in conjunction with multiple other factors, such as race and distrust in law enforcement, have a large effect on the way females fear crime. Moreover, it is argued that depictions of violence on social media have a large impact on this age range. Further research is needed to thoroughly understand how other factors interact with media.