Why are some people obsessed with true crime

Iam I agree the James Nesbitt drama was unsettling.
I think what was different about it, as well as the events being so recent, was the way it was dramatised - if you hadn't known otherwise, you would have imagined it was a work of fiction, and thus the balance of information vs entertainment was tipped towards entertainment.
If it had been a straight documentary it would perhaps have been less offensive and intrusive to the living relatives.

judypark, nurture has an impact but how is that in many families where several children have been brought up by the same, loving and good enough parents, only one child follows a damaging and often dangerous path in life. As a younger woman, I believed nurture topped it all but life and work experiences led me to think differently.

I think it's a bit more complicated than that, Judy. According to Philip Larkin, we are all f*cked up by our mums and dads. Other factors come into play too in determining whether someone will commit a crime.

For example, according to the Fraud Triangle, for occupational fraud to take place, the individual has to feel three things - financial pressure, opportunity and rationalisation, ie they feel they have some justification for their actions.
www.acfe.com/fraud-triangle.aspx

I agree, it's interesting.

Interesting that faced with the same situation, individuals will act differently.

I enjoy crime/psychological thrillers. Like others here, I like the forensic analysis, the process of unpicking and finally solving the crime. I also feel reassured that good (almost ) always, triumphs over evil.

I watched a couple of episodes of the recent tv drama, based on the real life story of a dentist, played by James Nesbitt. The events took places in a small town/village in Northern Ireland. The dentist and his family, his lover and her family were very religious. I think they were involved in a Baptist Church but in any event, their faith was central to their lives. Despite this, he murdered his wife and her husband. I found the drama very difficult to watch, it was chilling and the fact it was based on real life events made me feel uncomfortable. The children and other family/friends were still alive and must have found it so intrusive.
To describe those with an interest in true crime as prurient seems judgemental to me. I don't seek it out and as I said, I found the Nesbit drama unsettling, only watched a couple of the final episodes and was chilled but - I wouldn't judge others for their interest.

I find the psychological aspect interesting. Are people actually born wicked or is it a damaged childhood? I would tend to go with the latter. It's the old Nature verses Nurture question.

I love the process of solving crimes & forensics has always interested me. I do watch many of these programmes & read novels about crime & forensics. However I would not discuss these with others unless they shared my interest - I have a friend who shares the same taste & we do discuss this subject.

I love DC Banks, Vera, Lewis, Midsommer Murders etc as well as some of the American ones Criminal Minds, NCIS, Stalkers who Kill etc.

That is my relaxation along with many comedy programmes & documentaries

I wonder if those who think it's prurient to watch true life crime portrayed after the event, show the same delicacy and restraint about reading current crime stories in the newspapers or following it on TV? Essentially there is no difference between watching a reconstruction of something that happened years ago, and the latest update on a missing person enquiry, or the Madeleine McCann mystery.
I rarely watch TV but very much enjoyed two books by Kate Summerscale - the Suspicions of Mr Whicher and another one about a divorce case in Scotland in the 1890's (I think).
Both the books are very well written and researched and a pleasure to read.
Does the amount of time that has elapsed since the crime/scandal happened, make it more acceptable to read about it?

I think it is natural for us humans to indulge in a little harmless voyeurism otherwise how do you explain the popularity of shows like Big Brother and I'm a Celebrity, surely people only watch to see others humiliation

I do read about true crime, but rarely watch it on TV. As others have said it is often because I want to see how people are brought to justice and the amazing work that goes on in order to do that. I also am interested in the minds of the killer. What has happened in their life or in their mind to make them want to do such terrible things to other people. If we got answers to some of these questions it might help to identify a potential killer and maybe even intervene before that happens. The recent Oscar Pistorius crime for example, is complex and I often think I would hate to have to be a judge for a situation like this. I think it's fascinating but also scares and disturbs me sometimes and I wouldn't class it as particular pastime of mine - just something that catches my mind and I have to know more. It's interesting to know other people's views but I certainly don't go on about it, nor would I.

I think part of it is a sense of "there but for the grace of God go I" I do think forensic evidence is fascinating but by police & experts showing how clever they are they give lots of useful tips to criminals on how to avoid detection, eg pay for petrol with cash instead of a credit card

In the true crime programmes, many of those affected by the crime do take part - telling how it affected them.

I think it is prurient to dabble in the 'true life' miseries of others. However, there may well be some hypocrisy involved here as I am also a great aficionado of crime fiction. I don't actually like the grisly parts although I can grit my teeth and get through them as I know they are not real and no one has suffered at all.

What interests me in detective fiction is the puzzle of solving the fictional crime, the essentially moral and crusading world of the detective who is always battling both the criminals and his/her foolish bosses (and the system) to create justice for the victim, the portrayal of a morally compromised world, the genre of realism portrayed through a dual narrative from an omniscient or first person perspective, a conventional as opposed to a 'modern novel' narrative style (though I like the way dectective writers have incorporated many new techniques) and the fact that many good literary writers have chosen this genre to express their ideas.

Ironically, in many ways the dectective story is a consoling alternative to the hideous and callous world of real life crime.

I occasionally watch the true crime programmes. It is interesting to see how real crimes are solved as opposed to the TV dramas where everything is solved in an hour. Its interesting to listen to how real detectives work.

Thanks for the Ann Rule on kindle Pollengran, but they are abit expensive.

I like British crime, got loads of it on the Tivo, just started Midsomer Murders from S1E1.

I'm don't think I would like the facts although the police just solved a 40 year mystery with the DNA of his daughter and I found that very interesting so I can understand the interest.

I enjoy watching and reading crime stories as I like picking up on the clues and solving the puzzle but it's not the only interest that I have. Any subject can become boring to the listener if talked about all the time whether it's holidays, sport or children/grandchildren etc.

As it is a walking group I'd just walk on and chat to someone else.

It is interesting to see how crimes are solved or not. In this case think it's a matter of balance and many of us have hobbies we could bore people with if we talked about it incessantly.
Maybe you need to move the conversation into different areas and be quite firm about it, some people always manage to dominate a conversation whatever the topic.

Maybe she hates the One Show, or talking about acorns and sheep dung. Not everyone is the same. It is hard for people to make friends. I wouldn't want to be friends with that walking group, but I would enjoy a coffee with her.

If she is out in a walking group why not just tell her that you don't like hearing these things, especially if a few of you find it distasteful. I am saying to tell her to button it( In a polite way)

Maryp45 I think she spends quite a lot of time alone and watching TV and she appears to enjoy being quite graphic and shocking others with the details of these horrific crimes.

I can understand why some people may enjoy watching true crime and trying to solve the puzzle or watching the tale unfold but it's not for me.

Perhaps she doesn't have much else to chat about or perhaps she just has a twisted fascination for the macabre. Who knows!

Linsco56, could this lady be suffering from an illness? it seems a very strange topic to talk about. xx

Pollygran I was watching it instead of the Olympics too

I love the unsolved mysteries not because I like crime but it's the jigsaw puzzle part of my mind that likes to try and find why, how and what ...perhaps I should have been in forensics I also enjoy the physiological side to try and get into the minds of the perpetrator and work out why ? so yes guilty as charge find it much more interesting than most programmes on TV

I tend to to stick to British crime, but I do like finding out why people have done things and how their guilt has been revealed.

That's a very sad story Swanny.

I sometimes read murder mysteries but I have no interest in true crime programmes. I would hate to be forced to hear about these things on a supposedly relaxing walk and would probably stop going if I couldn't stay far enough away from the woman not to hear her re-tellings.

I love true crime and I never thought there was anything wrong with that, till now, .

I used to read true crime mags like my Mum and Aunties, then I read all the Ann Rule books, and now I have I.D and Crime and Investigation on my cable Favourites.

It's not about gore, they usually skirt around that, but more about the victims life before the murder, the forensic search after the crime, and the perpetrators background story.

I admit to watching a lot of it when the Olympics were on. So, shoot me..or maybe not .