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Caught in the Web: Exposing to Catch a Predator by Mark

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Caught in the Web: Exposing to Catch a Predator by Mark Caught in the Web: Exposing To Catch a Predator By Mark Magidson B.A. in Sociology, May 2009, Brandeis University B.A. in African and Afro-American Studies, May 2009, Brandeis University A Thesis submitted to The Faculty of The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts August 31, 2012 Thesis directed by Fran Buntman Assistant Professor of Sociology © Copyright 2012 by Mark Magidson All Rights Reserved ii Abstract of Thesis Caught in the Web: Exposing To Catch a Predator The dramatic undercover sting operations depicted on Dateline NBC’s hit series To Catch a Predator, have entertained, excited, and captivated audiences by bridging ideas of criminal justice and forms entertainment. This research examines what messages are communicated in each episode and how it is communicated to audiences. Content analysis of four episodes revealed how To Catch a Predator functions to reinforce historical methods of punishment, define boundaries of sexual morality, and provide avenues for social cohesion through collective condemnation of labeled sexual deviants within society. To Catch a Predator’s portrayal of justice, through specific methods of undercover surveillance and public punishment through shaming, articulated how partnerships between private and public institutions can function to communicate messages of the state, define moral threats within society, and identity the need for social control on the Internet and within local communities. iii Table of Contents Abstract of Thesis……………………………………………………………iii I. Introduction…………………………………………………………………1 II. Theoretical Framework………………………………………………….... 4 Construction of Sexuality…………………………………………..…7 IV. Methodology……………………………………………………………..12 V. Findings…………………………………………………………………...15 Creation of Predator………………………………………...….…….15 Confrontation………………………………………………….……. 21 Public Punishment…………………………………………......…….26 Shaming………………………………………………………...……28 Promotion of Sexuality………………………………………...…….33 Role of Police………………………………………………………..36 Policing the Internet……………………………………..…………..40 Moral Panic…………………………………………….……………42 VI. Conclusion………………………………………………..……………..47 References……………………………………………………...……………48 iv Introduction In the opening seconds of each episode, a man appears in a quiet suburban neighborhood and enters the open door of a house, apparently unnoticed. A young woman’s voice calls out to say she will soon join him, after she has completed some domestic task, like making cookies or folding laundry. This man is the perpetrator or suspect.1 He makes himself comfortable inside the living room or kitchen. Suddenly, another adult male enters, asking the suspect to explain his presence in the home. A revealing and uncomfortable conversation ensues. The suspect is told he is speaking with Chris Hanson, an investigative journalist working with Dateline NBC, making a television show. Hanson confronts the suspect with sexually explicit chats he has sent to solicit sex with an underage girl, and the fact that he is in this house to have sex with that girl. That girl making the cookies and folding laundry is actually the decoy, working for Dateline NBC. Cameramen soon emerge upon the scene. The suspect is offered an opportunity to speak directly to the cameras, and encouraged to leave the decoy house. As soon as the perpetrator exists the house, he is confronted by waiting law enforcement. With weapons drawn, police officers place the suspect under arrest. These dramatic undercover sting operations are what is depicted on Dateline NBC’s hit series, which ran from 2004 to 2007. Such scenes have entertained, excited, and captivated audiences by bridging ideas of criminal justice and entertainment in each episode. As the narrator, Chris Hanson explains Dateline NBC is “doing a story on adults 1 This thesis’s reference to both the perpetrator and the suspect reflects the conflict between To Catch a Predator’s assumption and framing of foregone guilt and the author’s desire to preserve the theory and practice of assuming people innocent of crimes until found guilty in a court of law. 1 who try to meet children online for sex.” The show’s depiction of adult men attempting to have sexual relations with children they met online is facilitated through undercover cameras, the participation of Perverted Justice (whose volunteers pose as children online), and partnerships with local law enforcement agencies. Analysis of the content of each episode revealed broader social implications for what is being communicated throughout the course of the show, and how it is being communicated to audiences. To Catch a Predator’s portrayal of justice, through specific methods of undercover surveillance and public punishment through shaming, reveals how partnerships between private and public institutions can function to communicate messages of the state. Further examination of the episodes provide insight into how the relationships between private citizens including Perverted Justice, local law enforcement, and institutions of mass-media can communicate message of sexual morality, punishment, and the need for social control within the United States. This research does not aim to defend, justify, or promote consensual sexual contact between an adult and minor, nor does it seek to deny or delegitimize the trauma of any sexual victimization, especially – in this context – the sexual exploitation of children by adults. Instead, this research attempts to offer insight into how To Catch a Predator, as a source of news and information, also creates, reinforces, and reflects ideas of contemporary society, particularly that of the United States. In particular, late twentieth century and early twenty-first century of Western-influenced ideas of sexuality and punishment, specifically within the United States, are produced and policed in this show. This research will aim to articulate how messages of state and society – from a small group like Perverted justice to the giant media corporation NBC – including desired 2 social norms and necessary social controls are communicated and what methods of communication are utilized. 3 Theoretical Framework and Literature Review Previous sociological and criminological theory provided frameworks for analyzing how To Catch a Predator communicated codes of sexuality, forms of social control, and messages of the state. Emilie Durkheim’s Division of Labor and Society helped articulate how the episodes serve as a tool for social cohesion for audience members. Durkheim argued that the rule of law helps maintain cohesion through the communal condemnation of individuals not adhering to social norms. Application of Durkheim’s theoretical framework of punishment revealed, “moral rules,” become effective guides and controls of conduct only to the extent that they become internalized in the consciousness of individuals, while continuing to exist independently of individuals” (Coser 2003: 129). Moral panics are a contemporary iteration of Durkheim’s theory. Examination of the creation and perpetuation of moral panics within society, as seen within Philip Jenkins’ findings, allowed for a modern day articulation of the social, political, and cultural implications of To Catch a Predator. Defined as a “condition, episode, person or group of persons [emerging] as threats to societal values and interests,” a moral panic is communicated through the lens of socially accredited experts, in this case within each episode (Zilney 2009: 68). To Catch a Predator’s methods of communication, with the help of law enforcement, selected psychologists, and private citizens, function to define, as well as defend against moral threats within society. Gresham Sykes and David Matza’s theoretical frameworks for defining deviance were also important in understanding how the suspected deviants on To Catch a Predator oftentimes justified deviant behavior, resisted socially constructed definitions of 4 deviance, and attempted to avoid the feelings of guilt or shame. Sykes and Matza’s research, defined through techniques of neutralization, provided an avenue to identify and analyze the communication within each episode, between the suspect and individual(s) confronting him. Erving Goffman’s research, on stigma and identity negotiations in the social world, helped articulate how each episode functioned to construct individual identities of the featured suspects. Consistent research and theorizing from scholars, including Edwin Lemert and Howard Becker, expanded on methods for illuminating how social interaction and labeling influence one’s identity within society. John Kitsuse’s analysis of deviance complimented Lemert and Becker’s previous research by providing a framework to analyze ways in which To Catch a Predator defines what is deviant and what methods are appropriate for controlling deviance. Michel Foucault’s insights regarding sexuality, deviance and punishment provided a historical background for contextualizing To Catch a Predator’s contemporary role. David Garland’s study of the death penalty, Peculiar Institutions: America’s Death Penalty in an Age of Abolition, offered an important theoretical roadmap for understanding how historical cultural, legal, and political shifts influence public attitudes towards punishment within the United States. Garland’s analysis provided a theoretical framework for understanding how American attitudes towards punishment of sexual deviants can be best defined as political theatre, representing
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