In Two Countries on Social Media People are Debating If Watching Horror or Hearing About Murder Makes You Murder People

Saturday, 3 June 2023

By: TB Obwoge

In Ghana some people are debating that news outlets reporting of the increasing incidents of men murdering women, are making the murders happen more often. As if men will murder their lovers because they've heard that men are murdering their lovers.

Also in post from Punch News Nigeria a woman who was "obsessed" with crime shows, murdered someone. Many are claiming that watching the shows made her murder, not that she was a psychopath but because she was made to murder from the tv shows.

The majority of these individuals think that a person can turn to murder just by reading about it or watching murder mysteries & horror. If this was the case, then wouldn't more people turn to murder?

Why crime shows are so addicting

People who don’t have any interest in true-crime stories might think you’re a creep for enjoying them — but rest assured that your love of the macabre doesn’t indicate a tendency toward criminal behavior. Instead, Dr. Childs says, it’s as simple as curiosity.

“Watching true crime doesn’t make you strange or weird,” Dr. Childs says. “It’s human nature to be inquisitive. True crime appeals to us because we get a glimpse into the mind of a real person who has committed a heinous act.”

Most true crime lovers are fascinated by the likes of Jack the Ripper, H.H. Holmes and Ted Bundy out of a deep desire to better understand their unthinkable capacity for cruelty. “We want to see how they tick,” she says.

Source: Health Cleveland Clinic

Below is a post that a woman from Nigeria wrote about the debate in a Nigeria news outlet's posting of the woman who was "obsessed" with murder mysteries.

I read in Punch Newspapers that a Lady obsessed with crime stories kills woman out of curiosity.

I read opinions of people in the comment section. I had a good laugh there because most people who commented were debating between the lady having a psychopath gene or she's possessed by a 'demonic' spirit.

This reminds me of how I became a 'Detective Officer' and was always raising eyebrows on every event after watching several investigative movies/documentary/show. It was intense.

I was feeling like a detective officer. In anywhere I had gone, any conversation I had...there was always that feeling that I would find something fishy.

Until a friend mentioned it. "You don turn Detective Officer these days. Wetin dey happen na? Are we safe?," she asked in Nigerian Pidgin.

I did not really take those words seriously until a few days it rang in my mind. That was when I started connecting the dots. I truly remembered I was over doing and was always looking for something that wasn't looking for me (detective). I had to work on myself. I had to take it easy on myself too.

DO YOU REALLY KNOW THE EFFECTS OF OVERLY CONSUMING MOVIES LIKE THIS?

Experts have cautioned against the excessive watching of crime stories.

It makes some viewers put into practice that which they have watched. They want to have a feel of it. This time they do not think they're doing anything wrong until they are caught in the web.

Your mind reflects what you show it and that's for a fact. The chances of you being in control of your mind in times like this are rare. Most times you do not even know.

This is by no means saying excessive watching of movies of this genre can be THE ONLY reason to kill someone but just saying it can contribute greatly.

This is why there is a need to watch a film as per its limit. Films are good but Life inside a film is different and life outside the film is reality. We can’t get influenced so easily and can’t coincide reality with virtuality.

Source: LinkedIn Post

In West Africa people who proclaim to be either Muslim or Christian still have heavy beliefs in WitchCraft which also comes up within every debate as well.

In Ghana people really believe that the news of men killing women is causing women to be murdered. When the society doesn't frown upon violence towards women in marriages or relationships, murders are bound to happen. When women are beaten just for simple things as burning a meal or issues involving raising their children.

Globally, an estimated 736 million women aged 15 or older, almost one in three (30%), have been subject to gender-based violence at least once in their lifetime, either by an intimate partner or person they were not in an intimate relationship with. The problem is most prevalent in Africa where 36% of women have been exposed to violence. The most common perpetrators are current or former intimate partners.

The prevalence of life-time intimate partner violence in Africa is highest in DR Congo (47%), Equatorial Guinea (46%) and Uganda (45%). In only three countries (Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde and Comoros) have fewer than 20% of women been subjected to intimate partner violence.

Source: Mo Ibrahim Foundation

The psychological effects of crime shows

“Shows that focus on murder and rape can really take you to a bad place,” Dr. Childs says. “They can help you become more vigilant and aware, but you don’t want to become overly reactive to the point where you’re not leaving your house, you’re not socializing, you’re not functioning.”

And it’s not just true crime stories that can impact our psyche. Fictionalized depictions of crime can be just as captivating — and have similar impacts.

But that doesn’t mean you need to stop watching Law and Order: SVU or listening to “My Favorite Murder,” if you love them. It means that you should remain vigilant about how they affect you, paying special attention to your reactions.

Dr. Childs runs through some of the psychological impacts that crime shows can have — and signs that you may need a break.

Source: Health Cleveland Clinic

Are men in these countries more likely to beat their women? Perhaps if this is what they're being taught to do by parents. In a BBC News documentary on violence against women a Kenyan man speaks of how his grandmother raised him to beat a woman. She told him to beat her without killing her, instead of teaching communication skills.

Communication skills in many countries where people are raised to beat their children as a form of proper discipline.

Queen-Keren Happuch

Great wise Corp lady there! Parents can't allow their child everything so it doesn't ruin both the child and the parents. God bless African mums. She won't be able to even scream 🤣🤣🤣. Charity begins at home

Saymon Legesse

Is this America call human right children don't respect their parents what kind of right is this stupid human right

Kibaya Wadda

Welcome to Africa sister jail, sandels, brooms , and sticks will be around there for you 😉

There were hundreds of comments supporting beating a child with items, hurting a child to the point that they were marked for life, under a video of an American 8-year-old screaming at her mother.

The comments claimed child abuse was an American word and that in Africa there was no such thing as child abuse. In countries where children are caned by their teachers. I've seen infants with broken limbs often, in Ghana a man was video taped beating a 2-year-old severely under a tree.

Parents are beating children under 12-months-old.

This form of violence never played a part into the ever increasing violence and murder of women and children? Only watching news or murders made you turn into a murderer, not being raised to think that hitting is always the solution.

In children it's sad that watching violence increases violent actions. But again is this because of being beaten, watching father's beat mother's? Or is it from children raised in homes without violence but watching violence on the television.

Either way parents should agree that no child should be watching violence. Some times this can't be avoided depending on where you live, what country you live in as well. In some countries there are often dead bodies on the covers of news papers, sold in the streets and shown to faces in cars.

Sometimes, watching a single violent program can increase aggressiveness. Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see.

Thank you for reading 🙏🏽 Please consider buying a coffee for Lacey's House efforts in Gender Equality & Children's Rights.

©️TB Obwoge 2023 All Rights Reserved