I grew up in a town of 700 where we left the car running in the parking lot and didn’t lock the doors to our houses.

These days, I live in the city and watch too much Criminal Minds and SVU. 

Now I don’t open the door without checking who it is. I call 911 when anything seems fishy. I hurry to my car in a parking lot and immediately lock the doors. I am vigilant. When I take my favorite kiddos shopping, I barely blink, let alone take my eyes off them.

Sometimes I have nightmares, which means I need to shut off the TV.

But these episodes also give me hope. So many people are rescued at the last possible second. I have a better understanding of what “victim” means.

Does watching shows like this influence your behavior?