Most women are taught from a young age to be aware of their surroundings and to never let their guard down in public. We keep our heads on a swivel, strategically park by street lamps and rarely have two headphones in at the same time while on a walk. Women are raised with the mindset of being on the lookout as a primary way of avoiding the worst. With all of these tactics and pepper spray in hand, why is it that the main demographic that tunes into these horrors are women?
According to Pew Research Center, true crime is the most common podcast topic as of 2023, and Psychology Today lists that around 80% of true crime listeners are women. Despite also contributing to this category, the heavy statistic took me aback at first. I contemplated some ideas of my own, then went down a research rabbit hole of why and how this number came to be.
My first guess as to why the main audience leaned towards women was that listening to true crime provides a feeling of preparation or being more aware. It’s almost as if listening to all of the possible ways things could go askew means we can comfort ourselves in deflecting the possibility. Listening to true crime as a woman promotes the theory that if we know the loop holes and tricks to look out for, we can seek security. Hearing the stories permits us to take mental notes on how to prevent anything similar from occurring to us, to the best of our ability. It allows us to keep a tally of what to avoid, what to do in a situation, and prompts “what if?” after “what if?” now with a potential answer. Â
Additionally, I know that personally I’m intrigued by true crime for the psychology factor; I’m horrified and perplexed by the heinous acts I hear about and want to know how they could have occurred. Did the perpetrator snap? Could we have seen this coming? Were there red flags waving all along? Grasping the makeup of a criminal’s mind helps break down and make logical sense of something I otherwise cannot comprehend. The motivations and underlying reasons in these stories is a primary reason I tune in, and once again, are a subconscious way to learn what to look for in my own real-world situations.
Yet, as narrators decode body language from an interrogation while I mindlessly clean my room, I am struck by how calm I am. I hate horror movies– the jump scares, the visuals.. It’s awful. So how can I listen to it? I think it comes down to podcasts providing a degree of separation. I cannot see this boogie man, and everything plays out only how I cast and structure it in my mind. I am in control and can turn off the podcast when it gets too dark. In this way, I can pretend everything is fake to a certain extent and curtain off my “real life” from what I hear through my headphones. This is something movies or an actual occurrence cannot provide.
Another large reason women in particular seem to circle back to true crime is empathy. According to an article by Cosmopolitan, listening to stories with resolutions can bring a sense of justice or clarity to listeners who feel for the victim.Â
“When exposed to someone’s cruel behavior, we don’t always get the resolution we want. Watching true crime can offer us somewhere to turn to see those behaviors acknowledged and, sometimes, punished,” the article states. Women listeners are likely to put themselves in the shoes of the victim– especially since the crime rate towards women is higher than men, especially in cases of domestic violence.
This being said, the storytelling setup also contributes to how the victim is portrayed and received by an audience. It is important to remember the victim instead of just the perpetrator for the crime. Doing research and choosing podcasts that are respectful is key; a list of qualities to look for in good podcasts include podcasts that don’t blame, don’t make light of or joke about the situation, and make sure to focus on the victim. Some true crime podcasts I listen to include “Murder With My Husband” and “Mile Higher,” as both are examples of authentic, educationally delivered stories that remember the victims in a fond light.Â
With Halloween right around the corner, horror-filled films and series are on the rise, such as the new season of the Netflix Original “Monsters.” Through the annual surge of movie viewers, many true crime podcasts are listened to year-round, and often by women. Breaking down how and why this is, as well as lessons to take away (such as what a good podcast ensures) is key when scrolling through your phone for the next true crime selection.