Olivia Benson

655 Words2 Pages

“In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit….” This short monologue is the opening for Dick Wolf’s fictional television show, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. This show follows the detectives of the Sixteenth Precinct in Manhattan, New York City through their lives and the cases they work day after day. In this unit, it is Detective Olivia Benson who has inspired me with her dedication and strength to her job and the real life connections that have been created from this character.
Mariska Hargitay, the actress behind Benson, says that Olivia is “an empathetic woman who can respond emotionally to the victims….” As a character, Olivia Benson has spent more than fifteen years in the Special Victims Unit solving sex crimes and crimes pertaining to children and elderly people. Most detectives in a typical Special Victims Unit spend an average of no more than four to five years at SVU because of the “heinous” nature of the crimes they are faced with every day. She, however, has dedicated triple the average time someone spends in the unit that has become the “1-6” to the characters of the show. Each victim she takes on becomes somebody that she is willing to do anything for. No matter what, her goal is to help the person who needs it, whether it is answering their phone calls and text messages at all hours, dropping everything to be at their side, or directing them to a medical professional to assist them in coping and continuing on with their lives. It is obvious with every person she helps that she truly wants to be there and she cares abo...

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... From watching this show and the character development through the years, I have learned many things. You never know what the person you are talking to has been through; whether their life was easy and privileged or they had to fight for everything they have. It is important and worthwhile to make an effort and help anyone you can in any way you can. Olivia Benson is a strong and dedicated woman on a fictional television show that has managed to make real life connections and inspire many people, including myself.

Works Cited

Derfler, Jessica, John Griffin, and Lila Nejad, prods. "Mariska Hargitay." E! True Hollywood Story. E! Los Angeles, California, 18 Apr. 2008. Television.
"Joyful Heart Foundation." Joyful Heart Foundation. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.
"Mariska Hargitay | Detective Olivia Benson." Mariska Hargitay Bio. National Broadcasting Company. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

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