We’re always looking for interesting law-related stories and studies, and recently we stumbled onto a fascinating study published in the journal Deviant Behavior. The study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Huddersfield, wanted to take a closer look at at hybristophilia, which is a condition characterized by a sexual attraction to criminal or delinquent behavior.
You may have had a crush on a “bad boy” when you were younger, but hybristophilia is a real phenomenon that researchers wanted to better understand. What drives someone to become attracted to criminals and criminal behavior? Interestingly, researchers said that TikTok may be related to a rise in hybristophilia.
TikTok And Bad Boys
Previous studies have focused on hybristophilia by examining women already in relationships with convicted offenders, but researchers wanted to learn more about how this attraction might emerge in younger generations, specially Generation Z, through their interactions on a widely used digital platform like TikTok. Research was conducted in two parts. The first study was a content analysis of TikTok, which involved an examination of 66 videos and 91 comments posted between 2020 and 2024. This content was chosen because it seemingly romanticized or glorified criminals, both real and fictional.
This analysis identified seven major themes in how young women discussed or portrayed offenders. Some of the themes included:
The Halo Effect – This occurs when an offender’s physical attractiveness appeared to bias users’ perceptions, oftentimes leading them to minimize the severity of an offender’s crimes.
Actor-Offender Transference – Attraction towards actors who portrayed infamous criminal, like Zac Efron playing Ted Bundy. This attraction was oftentimes transferred to real-life offenders.
Romanticization of Antisocial Personality Disorder – Fictional characters like Joe Goldberg from the show “You” were oftentimes described as ideal partners, despite their manipulative and violent behavior. Possessive or violent actions were framed as protective and loyal actions.
“I Can fix Him” – The belief that the individual would be able to “save” or “fix” a criminal who simply needs a stable partner to help get their life back on track.
Victim Fantasy – Some users expressed an interest in being victimized by an attractive criminal.
The second part of the study built on these themes by surveying 95 women between the ages of 18 and 27 who frequently used TikTok. Participants answered questions about their exposure to and engagement with romanticizing criminals. They also completed assessments to measure their own hybristophilia levels, empathy and more.
After looking at the data, researchers found a correlation between engagement with study-specific content and elevated hybristophilia scores. Simply seeing the content on their feed did not lead to higher hybristophilia scores, but choosing to watch the videos (instead of scrolling by) or liking them was a significant predictor. High levels of engagement were linked to higher scores on the hybristophilia scale.
As for personally traits, researchers found that being a more empathetic or narcissistic person did not increase hybristophilia scores, but Machiavellianism and psychopathy were predictors of hybristophilia.
While the study is small, it’s just another reminder that we need to be mindful of the type of content we (and our kids) consume online.
Keep following our blog for more criminal law news, and if you need help in the greater Twin Cities area with a criminal matter of your own, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
