Abstract
The reporting of crimes is a topic that is both very sensitive and highly dramatic. The manner in which crimes are covered by the media, both their content and their presentation, never fails to shock. There is a need for further research to be done in the area of the effect that individuals get from hearing about crime in the media. This study investigates the factors that lead to and affects the likelihood of juveniles engaging in criminal behaviour as a result of having been exposed to crime narratives in the media. The purpose of this article is to investigate the possible connection between the media and criminal activity. This study sheds insight on how individuals perceive the notion of crime as portrayed in the mainstream media as well as how this perception influences them. It is clear from the findings of the study that information in the media that is focused on criminal activity impacts people and gives them ideas for criminal behaviour.