To prepare:

• Review the Learning Resources this week to deepen your understanding of the media and public perceptions of crime, criminals, and victims.
• Consider how media may influence your personal perception of crime, criminals, and victims.
• Review data related to mass violence on the Bureau of Justice Statistics website and consider the reality of crime versus public perceptions.
• Review the Week 8 Case Studies document located in this week’s Learning Resources and contemplate the similarities and differences between the two school attacks in terms of modality, demographics, planning, and media coverage.

Post the following:

• Explain if and how the media overstates school violence. Justify your explanation and provide an example.
• Explain if and how the media leads to copycat violence. Justify your explanation and provide an example.
• Explain if and how the media contributes to stereotypes of crime. Justify your explanation and provide an example.
• Explain if and how the media shapes society’s perceptions about mass violence. Justify your explanation and provide an example.
• Explain if and how social media and the 24-hour news cycle impact perceptions of violence differently as compared to more traditional sources, such as television, radio, and newspapers.

Note: Your post should be substantial (1 paragraph or more for each bullet point above), supported with scholarly evidence from your research and/or the Learning Resources, and properly cited using APA style.