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- Title
Law & Disorder: The Portrayal of Mental Illness in U.S. Crime Dramas.
- Authors
Parrott, Scott; Parrott, Caroline T.
- Abstract
A quantitative content analysis examined stereotypes and counter-stereotypes concerning mental illness in crime-based fictional television programs aired on U.S. television between 2010 and 2013. Coders rated 65 randomly selected television episodes and 983 characters for stereotypes and counter-stereotypes related to mental illness. Characters labeled as having mental illness demonstrated greater likelihood of committing crimes and violence than the remaining population of characters, perpetuating stereotypes. They also stood greater chance of being victimized by crime, another stereotype. Nevertheless, counter-stereotypes related to social standing (including the presence of family and friends) also emerged in the television content. The authors discuss how stereotypes in television content might contribute to the stigmatization of mental illness.
- Subjects
MENTAL illness in mass media; TELEVISION crime programs; FICTION television programs; STEREOTYPES on television; SOCIAL stigma
- Publication
Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 2015, Vol 59, Issue 4, p640
- ISSN
0883-8151
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1080/08838151.2015.1093486