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Adolescents, Crime, and the Media pp 69–80Cite as

The CSI Effect

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Part of the book series: Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development ((ARAD))

Abstract

The “CSI Effect” in fact has been used to refer to three distinct phenomena: the potential for crime dramas to increase college student interest in criminal justice careers, the potential for crime dramas to increase jury expectations for scientific evidence in trials, and the potential for crime dramas to teach criminals how to commit better crimes. All three of these phenomena are discussed. Overall, evidence is best in support for the first of these, that student demand for criminal justice and forensics-related careers may be propelled by crime dramas, which may also distort knowledge about such careers. Evidence is less certain for the effect of crime dramas on jury expectations or criminal behaviors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral Sciences, Texas A&M International University, Laredo, TX, USA

    Christopher J. Ferguson

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  1. Christopher J. Ferguson
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Ferguson, C.J. (2013). The CSI Effect. In: Adolescents, Crime, and the Media. Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6741-0_5

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