Negative Impact of Mass Media: There is a growing concern these days that the mass media which undoubtedly inform, educate and entertain have also become a source of contamination. It is frequently alleged that newspapers, film magazines, and comics, radio television and movies have been exerting an unhealthy influence, particularly on children. Sensational reports of criminal activity in newspapers by detailing the modus operandi (i.e., types and techniques), can affect readers in two different and dangerous ways. It may affect some highly suggestible persons, among whom are many young people, to commit similar crimes. Or it may create an attitude of indifference to law and asorder through the constant repetition and exaggeration of the details of the crimes. Motion pictures dealing with rime quite often show that it is easy to lie without working legitimately. They show that crime is exiting, even though it may not pay in the long run. They indicate that there are methods of erading the law, at least in the early parts of the film. Young girls find from many movies that love can be thrilling, that good clothes make the woman. There are many scenes which are titillating sexually. Television has grown in importance and is reaching more and more home. Not that T.V. is objected to wholesale–the prime culprits are those films and programmes loaded with vice. Such violence or vulgarity are allegedly said to induce viewers to raping, prostitution, robbery, assault or murder. In a country like India where literacy rate is quite low, the impact of radio on general attitude and approaches to behaviour can be much more potent than the published material. However, what is objected to in radio programmes are generally the crime dramas and advertising of films with violence themes, especially the sponsored programmes by producer/distributors. Many authorities, believe that mass media has been made too much of a scapegoat for the deteriorating delinquency and crime problems. Occasionally a person states that he got the idea for a crime from a newspaper account of the activities of another criminal. But the publicity given to the modus operandi of the criminal may make the public more aware of the techniques of such activities because sooner or later police do catch the offender. About the radio, television and films it is contended that millions of people, both young and not so young, listen or view these programmes. It would be absurd to state that most of them are adversely affected. It will mostly depend on the type of person who is listening or viewing their output. Stable people, juveniles and adults, will be little affected since such influence is transient. The unstable and socially maladjusted may be somewhat affected. However, because of this unidentifiable segment of population harsh controls should not be placed on the mass media. Mass communication media have become quite important in the present times for providing information and education as well as entertainment. The freedom of expression is quite a sensitive subject for democracies.

Poverty and Low Income: The vast majority of those arrested and convicted belong to poor economic status. We must bear in mind that they have no one to come between them– the police and courts, when the law is broken. They lack resources and the police as well as other law enforcing authorities are more severe on them. In actual terms the administrative processes of law enforcement are seen to be quite favourable to person in economic comfort. If two persons on different economic levels, have committed the same offence, the one on the lower level is more likely to be arrested, and convicted. It will have to be accepted that the economic factors are quite important. Poverty can engender antisocial activities in many indirect ways. Unsatisfactory human relations have been frequently seen to emanate from destitution and poverty. The feelings of inadequacy, and emotional insecurity play their part upon the inner life of potential offenders. Poverty does cause undernourishment and poor physical health which, in turn, may lead to a lowered mental resistance to temptation. Poverty-stricken families have very little choice in the selection of residential locality. Usually their living conditions are congested, playgrounds are either few or altogether absent. Here the living space is too small to afford the comfort and privacy required for the development of self-respecting personalities. Evidently, because of poverty and poor circumstances, the options of the children get severely limited. In families, generally larger than the average, with little living space and inadequate facilities, the children are driven to seek their recreations on the streets. The daily budgeting battle, often giving rise to frayed tempers between husband and wife, when there is very little money to provide for the minimum basic necessities of food, clothing, education, etc., impose extraordinary strains on the family. The parents in such situations can take little or no interest in their children, although they have affection for them. Further, because of lack of money, very often the reasonable demands of school going children are mocked at and education suffers. However, as mentioned earlier, we cannot say that environment of poverty makes everyone delinquent or criminal since there are plenty of people who come from such surroundings and remain law-abiding. But poverty does different things to different people. For some its pressures can be among the important causes of antisocial behavior.

 

References

National Crime Research Bureau. 2010. Crime in India Compendium, New Delhi.

National Crime Research Bureau. 2011 . Crime in India Compendium, New Delhi.

Children in India-2012, A Statistical Appraisal, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, New Delhi, 2012.

Statistics on Women in India, National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, New Delhi, 2007.