Research area
The paper seeks to investigate the role played by the media in promoting sexual crimes against women in London, UK. Therefore, the study will be guided by the research question: What is the impact of biased media messages in promoting sex crimes against women in London? The study will contribute to the body of knowledge on how to media channels can craft positive messages meant to change perceptions and behaviors of people, thus reducing the impact that these channels have in promoting women sexual abuse and other sensational sex crimes current witnessed in London, UK. The area has gained popularity with increased cases of women sexual abuse and exploitation reported on a daily basis. According to surveys carried out in England and Wales, an estimated 26 percent of women have experienced some type of sexual abuse since the age of 16; this represents more than 4.3 million female victims (Travis, 2018). This has largely been blamed on biased reporting and failure of media to instill acceptable societal ideals and behaviors; instead the media has in many occasions castigated the victims of such crimes.
Literature review
Many researchers have focused their studies on impacts of media on sex crimes. According to Armstrong and Mahone (2016), the media has consistently categorized rape and child abuse as the dominant sex crime cases. Armstrong and Mahone (2016) carried a study that discovered media channels tend to focus on violent crimes but report little on sex crimes committed against women. However, the study failed to elaborate on why media often concentrate on violent crimes at the expense of sex crimes against women. Another study by Grubb and Turner (2012) elaborated on sexual myth, rape and acceptance anchored on sex crimes committed by the black minority against the white and middle-class. This study established how media has consistently distorted messages meant to represent reality of sex crimes by replacing them with myths. Longitudinal studies have largely blamed the victims for their predicament based on their behavior, such as drinking, flirting, and precipitating sexual crimes by being on the wrong place at the wrong (Moreno, 2011). Based on this mini literature review, media has failed on its role to report and speak against sex crimes against women on their daily coverage. Thus, there is sufficient ground to carry on a study on how the new media can be called upon to report sex crimes daily. Also, how the media can craft and deliver messages to impact on knowledge beliefs, behaviors and attitudes of the people to help mitigate cases of sex crimes against women.
Methodology and sample
Qualitative research method will be used for the study. This method uncovers trends and dive deeper into the main problem under investigation (Saunders et al., 2012). Thus, the study will rely on both primary and secondary sources of data. Specifically, the study will use case study research design. The sample population for the study will consists of 1,220 women randomly selected across London. Hence, data will collected through interviews and self-administered questionnaires covering perception of media messages in promoting sex crimes. The study will also consult secondary sources of data collected from NHS facilities and media companies, concerning cases of sex crimes against women reported and covered. The study will limited to the sample population because they will represent vast majority women. The researcher will adhere to ethical concerns by enforcing consent and guaranteeing confidentiality of information.
References
Armstrong, C. and Mahone, J., 2016, It’s on us: the role of social media and rape culture in
individual willingness to mobilize against sexual assault. Mass Communication and Society, pp. 1-24.
Grubb, A. and Turner, E., 2012, Attribution of blame in rape cases: A review of the impact of
rape myth acceptance, gender role conformity and substance use on victim blaming. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 17(5), pp. 443-452.
Moreno, M., 2011, Social networking sites and adolescent health: new opportunities and new
challenges. ISJLP, 7, pp. 57.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., 2012, Research methods for business students, 6th
edition, Pearson Education Limited.
Travis, A., 2018, One in five women have been sexually assaulted, analysis finds. The Guardian.
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/08/sexual-assault-women-crime-survey-england-wales-ons-police-figures. (Accessed April 13, 2019)