A psychologist has shed light on why nine out of ten bestselling novels in the U.K. feature a woman being murdered. According to Dr. Tracy King, a clinical psychologist and expert witness in criminal and family law, women are the main audience of these novels, and reading about women being harmed can represent a ‘controlled threat rehearsal’ for them.
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Dr. King explained that women are drawn to these novels as a way to prepare themselves for potential threats and to understand the worst-case scenario. This is not a conscious process, but rather an unconscious one that allows women to feel more prepared and in control. The psychologist noted that women face different threats and fears in society, such as domestic violence and coercion, and that reading about these topics in a controlled environment can be a way for them to process and cope with these fears.
Dr. King also pointed out that women in domestically violent or controlling relationships can often be drawn to crime novels as a way to rationalize their relationships and to see that there is a way out. However, she cautioned that these books do not normalize violence against women, but rather provide a safe space for women to explore and understand these issues.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
