Women are more likely than men to pick up books tales of rape, murder and serial killers, a new study has found
Women are more likely than men to pick up books tales of rape, murder and serial killers, a new study has found.
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Many people might assume that men, being the more aggressive sex, would be most likely to find such gory topics interesting.
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However, it's the fairer sex that finds such books appealing and what makes these books appealing to women are relevant in terms of preventing or surviving a crime.
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For example, by understanding why an individual decides to kill, a woman can learn the warning signs to watch for in a jealous lover or stranger. By learning escape tips women learn survival strategies they can use if actually kidnapped or held captive.
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It is possible that reading these books may actually increase the very fear that drives women toward them in the first place.
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While writing in inaugural issue of Social Psychological and Personality Science by Sage, authors Amanda M. Vicary and R. Chris Fraley said a woman fears becoming the victim of a crime so she turns to true crime books in a possible effort to learn strategies and techniques to prevent becoming murdered.
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However, with each true crime book she reads, this woman learns about another murderer and his victims, thereby increasing her awareness and fear of crime.
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"It is not possible to state with certainty from these studies whether or not this vicious cycle occurs," they said.
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"But we do know that women, compared to men, have a heightened fear of crime despite the fact that they are less likely to become a victim," they added.
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