Why are we obsessed with True Crime?

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — You can see it anywhere.

It’s on television, in movies, and available for streaming. You can read it in books and magazines, blogs, and websites.

You can take it with you on the go. In fact, many of the top podcasts are all about True Crime. Why is that the case?

What about true stories of violent crime draws so much interest? Is it morbid curiosity, or is there some collective catharsis we get from consuming media about bad things happening to other people?

A study by Amanda M. Vicary and R. Chris Fraley with the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shows that women consume more True Crime media than men. The study concluded that women were drawn to True Crime for 3 main reasons:

They identify with the often female victims

They hope to learn more about the psychology of serial killers and rapists to recognize those traits in men they encounter

They may learn a trick or useful information on how to escape or avoid becoming a victim

However, Vicary and Fraley conclude that women may actually be feeding into their own fears about being the victim of violent crime by consumption of True Crime, continuing to increase their anxiety about becoming a victim, even while the evidence shows that violent crime continues to decline.

McKenna Princing, in the University of Washington Blog Right as Rain, writes that True Crime only helps to perpetuate the myth that violent crime is on the rise. Princing also notes that much of the popular True Crime media focuses on violent crime predominantly committed against white females, which ignores that violent crime against women of color, especially Black and indigenous women, and trans people is much higher.

Princing interviewed Emily Dworkin, a trauma researcher and assistant professor in the UW School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, who says consumption of True Crime stories can also lead to victim blaming.

“True crime focuses on instances where crimes actually occur; there are no stories where people made the exact same choices, and bad things didn’t happen. That lets you draw the conclusion that their choices led to what happened. Looking at stories with 20/20 hindsight can give you a false sense of being able to use that info to prevent something similar from happening to you,” says Dworkin.

Dworkin did mention, however, that True Crime does offer a way for us to experience difficult emotions in a safe way, much like a rollercoaster, horror movie, or sad film.

Women are obviously not exclusive in their enjoyment of True Crime. Men enjoy it too.

Forensic Neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst Dr. Richard Lettieri writes for Psychology Today that interest in True Crime may stem from evolutionary instinct to spot danger in the environment. Lettieri says he believes that for men, it can also stir up feelings of manliness. However, he argues that it goes deeper than that. He believes the consumption of True Crime allows us to safely experience the dark side of human nature without actually committing violent or depraved acts ourselves.

Still, is the consumption of True Crime media healthy? We know that first responders like law enforcement and EMS personnel, along with even journalists, can experience what is known as “Vicarious Trauma.” Though not experiencing the event or crime personally, speaking or hearing from survivors or victims and seeing crime scene photos and other evidence can leave a person experiencing the same psychological effects as if they experienced the trauma personally. This can include depression, anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which can impair empathy toward others. Studies also show that exposure to violent media, even over a short period of time, can make someone less sympathetic to victims of violence.

Some interesting ethical questions are raised by True Crime media. Do the producers of the content have a responsibility to provide context? Should they explain the cases they highlight only represent the most extreme and rare of events? Should they highlight and link to mental health resources?

As for the individual consumers, Psychologist Chivonna Childs says to be cognizant of how the programs may be affecting you personally. She writes in the Cleveland Clinic’s Health Essentials blog that it may be time to take a break from True Crime if you start experiencing sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression.

“Pay attention to any decline in your mood, like if true crime doesn’t feel as good to you as it used to,” Dr. Childs says. “Look, too, at how your body responds to the stories. If your heart is racing, or you feel tense or anxious, or you have moments when you think, ‘Oh, God, I can’t take this anymore,’ those are all signs.” 

Childs says people do not need to give up their interest in True Crime but says moderation is definitely a good thing.