NCJ Number
169097
Date Published
1997
Length
25 pages
Annotation
Studies have shown that under various conditions the viewing of media violence can stimulate aggressive behavior in viewers; efforts are underway to reduce the exposure of children and youth to media violence.
Abstract
Comstock and Paik (1991) suggest that there are four factors that affect the likelihood that media violence will influence viewers: efficacy, normativeness, pertinence, and suggestibility. Efficacy relates to whether the violence on the screen is rewarded or punished; normativeness refers to whether the screen violence is justified or lacks any consequences; pertinence describes the extent to which the screen violence has some similarity to the viewer's social context; and suggestibility concerns the predisposing factors of arousal or frustration. The three primary types of effects from viewing media violence include direct effects (increased aggressive behavior or willingness to use violence); desensitization (increased acceptance of violence as normal); and Mean World syndrome (increased fearfulness and a belief that the real world is as dangerous as the television world). There are encouraging signs of a turning point in the effort to counter media violence. New corporations, such as Walt Disney/ABC, are willing to rethink the nature of children's television programming; there is a revisiting of procedures designed to develop entertaining and educational programs and a renewed interest in expanding the Children's Television Act of 1990 to provide enhanced educational programming. There are also new technologies that will enable parents to have an active role in selecting programming for young viewers. 15 references