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Media Violence
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Violence is a disturbing and sometimes frightening undercurrent of life in the United
States. In any given year, more murders occur in any one of the major cities than in all of
the British Isles combined. This fact has not been lost on lawmakers, especially those
running for reelection. Violent behavior (and how to curb it) has been a frequent issue in
elections. Although the causes of violent crime are complex, some people look for a
single cause that will point to a quick fix for the problem. In the 1950s, for example,
parents and educators blamed graphically violent comic books for an increase in juvenile
crime. In the 1970s, pressure from Congress caused Hollywood to institute a rating
system so that parents could judge the suitability of movies. More recently, lawmakers
mandated that a V-chip, enabling parents to block violent or sexually explicit programs,
be built into all new television sets.
The debate about the connection between media violence and violent behavior
heats up whenever a particularly horrible crime is linked to a movie. In one case, for
example, two teenagers went on a murder spree and blamed their actions on Oliver
Stone's movie Natural Born Killers. In another case, five young men seemingly imitated
a scene from the movie The Money Train and killed a New York City subway toll clerk
by setting him on fire. Movies, however, are not the only culprits. In 1996, Paladin Press,
publisher of the how-to manual The Hit Man, was unsuccessfully sued by the family of a
woman whose killer apparently followed a set of detailed instructions outlined in the
book. In another apparent case of life imitating art, a woman who had seen the made-for-television movie The Burning Bed set her abusive husband on fire.
Effects of Media's Violence on the Behavior of Children
Discusses how children learn by being shown; offers statistics such as movie death
counts.
CASE Media Fellowship on Violence and Society
Provides information on fellowships by the University of Virginia's Institute of Law,
Psychiatry, and Public Policy that bring journalists on campus to teach and do research.
Media Violence
Presents Canadian perspectives on the debate and offers wide-ranging background
information, discussion groups, and information about becoming an activist. Presented by
the Canadian Media Awareness Network, a group concerned with curtailing violence in
the media.
Resource Room
This section of the Canadian Media Awareness Network site's "Media Violence" page
links to annotated articles, audiovisual resources, and surveys.
Media Violence and Young Children
Offers advice by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, whose
top priority is working against media violence.
National Coalition on Television Violence
Sponsored by a nonprofit group organized to reduce violence on television; offers links to
information about the V-chip, blocking technology, helping kids, etc.
National Coalition on Television Violence
Offers a useful bibliography on violence in the media and children.
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