The two faces of true crime: the survivor
The interest aroused has much in common with the popularity of horror. If their stories are almost addictive, it is largely because they allow us to release adrenaline from a feeling of total security. Or as criminologist Scott Bonn puts it, “the euphoric effect of true crime on human emotions is similar to that of roller coasters or natural disasters”, he declared to Time .
However, excessive hobby goes beyond the pleasure of chemical sensations. It is something evolutionary. Specialists have reiterated that if terror is so popular, it is largely due to the fact that it teaches how to survive in high-risk situations, even when our minds know that what is seen on the screen is almost always as false as it is improbable. This is not the case with true crime, whose truthful bases make the human brain pay special attention to every single detail. Both the victim and the mistakes made to fall into a life or death situation, as well as the aggressor and the modus operandi used to lure people into his traps. Lessons that, as impossible as it may seem to some, could be the key to our survival if we are caught in a similar case.
This is the reason why women tend to express more interest in books that tell these kinds of stories, although with the condition that the victims are female. This was revealed by a study published in 2010 in which it was concluded that “women are more afraid of being victims of a crime than men. […] the characteristics that make these books appeal to women is very relevant in terms of prevention or survival of a crime”, reported . Although there are no studies to support it, this could be the reason why Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story of Netflix has aroused such interest, as it premieres in a context in which hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community are common.
The true crime is also a display window for the countless failures of the system. Almost always of a judicial nature, but also of many other types. There is The Good Nurse to prove it, with a harsh criticism of the actions of the hospital system in the United States.
The two faces of true crime: the murderer
Everyone has a hidden side that appeals to the forbidden. True crime specialists know this and have taken advantage of it to generate a disturbing connection with the audience.
Psychologist David Buss conducted a study for his book The Murder Next Door: Why the Mind Is Designed to Kill. In this it was concluded that 91% of men and 84% of women have ever fantasized about killing someone. It does not refer to a brief mode that is limited to the idea, but rather a vivid and sometimes extremely violent one. It is disturbing, but the specialist invites us to be calm. He assures that it is nothing but a normal impulse in the human mind and that in most cases it will not be even remotely close to materializing.
91% of men and 84% of women have ever fantasized about killing someone
Far from promoting violence, true crime invites you to live it in a safe way. Not only from the victim’s perspective, but also from the killer’s. A dark part of us enjoys the power that these characters have over life and death, but in the end assimilates that what was done was wrong and understands that the perpetrator must pay for his crimes. This is why the bulk of these narratives close with convictions, which can range from the death penalty to numerous life sentences that guarantee that these individuals will remain locked up forever.
The rise of true crime seems destined to continue for a while and could even increase further if it continues down this route. We thoroughly enjoy it, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it goes down as soon as possible, as this would be an indicator that the world we live in is becoming less violent, which in turn would make these stories less necessary.