(NewsNation) — Engagement with certain types of TikTok content is linked with sexual attraction to criminals and killers, a new study finds.
Published in the journal “Deviant Behavior,” researchers found that watching and engaging with videos that romanticize offenders is linked to hybristophilia, the psychological term for an attraction to criminals.
An attraction to killers isn’t a new phenomenon, with notorious killers like Ted Bundy receiving romantic attention while behind bars, but social media has brought a new dimension to the subject.
Researchers specifically focused on Gen Z and engagement with videos romanticizing criminals, real or fictional.
They found evidence of what’s called the halo effect, where conventionally attractive offenders had their crimes minimized, something that also happens offline in courtrooms.
Another finding was actor-offender transference, where an attraction to an actor who portrays a real-life offender becomes an attraction to the offender. In some cases, the psychologists found that users expressing attraction to an actor genuinely believed they were talking about the real offender.
Researchers found behaviors were romanticized, with controlling or possessive behavior framed as protective and loyal, as well as a belief among commentators that they could fix an offender’s behavior.
The study also found exposure to content romanticizing offenders on a social media feed did not by itself predict an attraction to criminals. Only when users engaged in the content by watching, commenting or otherwise interacting, was there a link.