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Andy Hilzinger
Mrs. Cramer
Comp Pd. 8
4 October 2018
Violence and Media: Connection?
Violent media causes extremely violent tendencies in children and teenagers across the

globe. According to many studies done by different research groups with diverse agendas, the

results are seemingly unanimous. Discovering the fact of violent pieces of media causing violent

tendencies in children is a crucial step in the right direction to learning more, as well as putting a

stop to the brutal actions performed my children in the past decade. Overall, research shows that

violent media is linked with violent tendencies in children.

Since the dawn of most modern-era television, movies, and video games, children have

been the most influenced by these items. A study titled, “Violent Video Games” draws a link

between acts of bullying and violent video games. This study went in depth on different opinions

and data from violent video games, as well as actual results, and compared the two side by side.

The results showed that despite opinions from outside sources, violent video games were shown

to have an overall negative effect on children. This study set out to test the argument that,

“violent video games make for great stress relievers.” The result showed that despite this

argument, most children involved in violent video games daily were caught committing acts such

as bullying and imitating physical violence in school. (Violent Video Games | GALE) The study

also set out to prove that not only were children committing more violent acts, but that they

would become desensitized to violence in the real world. The study states that children at an

extremely young age are still learning the differences between fantasy and reality, causing them

to not even realize that these acts of violence are wrong.

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A study at Iowa State University followed the same concept of video games causing

violence. This study used the GAM, which stands for “General Aggression Model”. (Video

Games and Violence | GALE) This study took place over a longer period of time and showed

that the longer the exposure to video games, the more violent children were shown to become.

The APA did a similar study to Iowa State, and they observed the violent tendencies of children

over a longer period of time. However, they could not link violent video games to violent acts of

crime such as burglary. What the APA’s study did discover though, is that children became more

aggressive after playing violent video games. The American Academy of Pediatrics backed this

study as well as plenty of others in saying that violent video games that are bad for children.

Violent video games cause plenty of aggression in children, however it is not only video

games are a risk for the younger generation. Violent movies and TV shows are a contributing

factor as well. In the year 2000, the FTC did research on recent commercials and advertisements

for violent movies and TV shows and found that these advertisements and commercials were

intentionally aimed at a younger audience. The ads were found to be most appealing to those

under 17 years of age, despite their “R” rating. The MPAA, who are responsible for the rating of

these violent movies and television shows, argued with the report from the FTC, and questioned

the validity of the report and the actual definition of violence. They also questioned what should

or should not be rated “R”. Despite the arguments, results are correct in saying that children have

been negatively affected by these scenes of violence. Similarly to violent video games, children

have been shown to act aggressively in response to seeing violent movies and television shows.

(Watching violent TV at pre-school age linked to aggression in young boys | GALE)

In 2008, a man in New York City was arrested for acting out violent scenes in movies.

The man had been reenacting scenes that he had seen in movies for one reason or another. What
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got him arrested was his reenactment of “Nightmare on Elm Street,” where he attacked his

roommate unprovoked. This report shows that not even adults are safe from the influence of

violent television and movies. If adults cannot be stopped from acting out scenes from violent

movies, how can children be expected to act the same? (Man allegedly acts out violent movies |

UPI Newstrack)

One more grand link between aggression and violent television comes from the Panel

Study of Income Dynamics. This 40-year study of 8000 United States families studied the

programming that young boys and girls were watching daily. While there was no evidence for

girls, there was evidence of pre-school aged boys becoming anti-social and violent later in life

after being exposed to as children. This study advises parents to keep careful track of what kind

of programming they are showing their children. There was no link found between educational

programs and TV shows in children, as opposed to violent television and football. In this study,

what classified a violent act, in television were scenes where the characters would choose to fight

or flee from violent situations. As well as where the characters would cheer or laugh at violent

acts. Even if this programming is designed for children, it can still be shown to be a bad

influence on their future. The study states that the best way to combat aggression and anti-social

behaviors in children is to monitor what they are watching, and to ensure that children are

watching a minimal amount of violent television. There are good options out there, such as

educational programs according to the study, but each television show should be analyzed before

being shown to younger generations.

In conclusion, plenty of studies have found a definite link between violence in children

and violence in video games and media. Most studies guarantee that the best way to combat this

is to limit the consumption of television and media by children in all situations. The main thing
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that these studies advise is to be aware of these pieces of violent media in general. Overall

however, violent media has shown to be awful for children.

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Works Cited

"Blurring the image." Psychology Today, July-Aug. 1992, p. 13. Research in Context,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A12376255/MSIC?u=pl1949&sid=MSIC&xid=1c7e8304.
Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.

"Man allegedly acts out violent movies." UPI NewsTrack, 25 Jan. 2008. Research in Context,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A173856522/MSIC?u=pl1949&sid=MSIC&xid=f2fa7475.
Accessed 21 Sept. 2018.

"Movie Studios Limit Marketing of Violent Films to Children, September 26, 2000." Historic
U.S. Events, Gale, 2004. Research in Context,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ2359030003/MSIC?u=pl1949&sid=MSIC&xid=9e785bb7
. Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.

"Video Games and Violence." Gale Student Resources in Context, Gale, 2018. Research in
Context,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ2181500303/MSIC?u=pl1949&sid=MSIC&xid=0909de07
. Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.

"Violent Video Games." Research in Context, Gale, 2018. Research in Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/QJEURC425614702/MSIC?u=pl1949&sid=MSIC&xid=aa5a
a1f3. Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.

"Watching Violent TV at Pre-School Age Linked to Aggression in Young Boys." US Newswire,

5 Nov. 2007. Research in Context,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A170720055/MSIC?u=pl1949&sid=MSIC&xid=3b09e00b.
Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.