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Violent crimes not accurately portrayed on CSI
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Using dramatic television as a vehicle for public health and service announcements is not a new idea. This was particularly evident in the ‘90s, when “special” episodes dealing with drug abuse and violence ran rampant on the airwaves. In recent years, institutions like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have used shows such as ER to convey medical safety. But what about the opposite effect, those shows which do not accurately portray information, altering public perception of reality?
Dr. Timothy Lineberry, M.D., a psychiatrist at Mayo Clinic, investigated the relationship between CDC statistics on homicides and homicides that are portrayed on CSI and CSI: Miami, shows chosen because they have “combined audiences of more than 43 million viewers annually.” [Mayo] By comparing 2005 CDC data with the 2003-2005 seasons of the shows, Lineberry found that TV does not accurately reflect true homicide trends, especially when it came to factors of race, alcohol abuse, and the influence of relationships on violence.
Most striking among the statistics reported is alcohol and drug use. While watching CSI, Lineberry states just 11 of the offender in 300 cases viewed were under the influence of alcohol. In reality, the CDC reports that over 60% of offenders are tagged as under perception-altering substances. If CSI was to be accurate, over 150 of the offenders should have been using some form of drugs or alcohol.
Lineberry, presenting at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting, also conveys that there is a misrepresentation of race, with CSI having mostly Caucasian attackers and victims. There is also a discrepancy in portraying relationships. In most real cases, attackers and victims know each other intimately, and are not strangers as it appears on the shows.
Discovering the lack of correlation between reality and TV may help overcome problems that health care officials and policymakers face. There is always a movement to make programs that target violence in society. However, “if we believe that homicides are committed by strangers, that it doesn’t represent particular groups [races], and that it doesn’t represent the association with alcohol, it’s hard to come up with a public health intervention that is supported by the general public.” [Mayo video]
Lineberry makes a call to action in a video recorded for Mayo Clinic which can be seen below. While he is fully aware that shows like CSI are meant for entertainment, it is also important to remember that TV can be used as a way to reach out and properly educate the masses. “Practically speaking, CSI is not meant to be an accurate representation of CDC data. It’s a dramatic series that we like watching. However, it is important that the public be aware of what the actual statistics are with that, and there may be some opportunity for us to tailor media messages about the true impact, who are the victims and offenders, and the associated risk factors with homicide and violence in the general public.”
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