CRIME SHOW VIEWING BY PREADULTS

Abstract

The research reported here examines the impact of viewing television crime shows on preadults' attitudes toward civil liberties. The data analyzed were the result of a survey of school children in grades six through twelve. Generally, heavy viewers of crime shows were more likely to have anti-civil libertarian attitudes. This relationship survived controls for seven background variables. Crime show viewing had its greatest impact on the attitudes of subgroups that normally are predisposed to support a civil libertarian viewpoint. These groups included children in the higher grades, children from middle class homes, and children whose parents do not place a great deal of stress on conformity. The results indicate that television entertainment may be an important source of political learning.