By: William M Hart

William M Hart — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 12:08:38 +0000

I believe the proliferation of crime and punishment media in all its forms have fed the US public appetite for sex stories. Sex sells. Whether it’s a shapely woman in a bikini pushing toothpaste or an article published in a newspaper about a sex crime. Puritan
America is obsessed with sex. The more taboo the story the more readers attracted. The
more heinous the crime, the more obsessed the public seems to be.
Take for example the NBC crime drama Law and Order which has been employing New
York actors for over 23 years now. The show has spun off several other series such as
Law and Order SVU, or special victims unit. This show in particular has fueled the public with fear and false information about sex crimes and sex offenders in particular. Of course, it’s not the only show to do this. The term sex offender has infiltrated every
genre of entertainment and never in a good way.
Journalist were the first to discover all the benefits of sensationalizing a sex offender story. Many have projected themselves from local obscurity to national prominence by
this means. Then the politicians jumped on the bandwagon. Injecting themselves
into the story presented by reporters. Portraying themselves as being tough on crime,
especially sex crimes and the votes poured in. After all who doesn’t want to “protect”
our children. The message was if you don’t vote for me, then you must agree with the
predators of children. It was and is very effective in garnering votes. Journalists and
politicians learned to groom voters much better than any sex offender ever groomed a victim.

Comments on: Why Do We Treat Sex Crimes Differently Than Other Violent Crimes?

By: William M Hart