THE EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES BEARING ON THE EFFECTS OF AGGRESSIVE TELEVISION ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT ON CHILDREN SUPPORT CERTAIN CONCLUSIONS. FIRST, VIOLENCE DEPICTED ON TELEVISION CAN IMMEDIATELY OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER INDUCE MIMICKING OR COPYING BY CHILDREN. SECOND, UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES TELEVISION VIOLENCE CAN INSTIGATE AN INCREASE IN AGGRESSIVE ACTS. THE ACCUMULATED EVIDENCE, HOWEVER, DOES NOT WARRANT THE CONCLUSION THAT TELEVISED VIOLENCE HAS A UNIFORMLY ADVERSE EFFECT NOR THE CONCLUSION THAT IT HAS AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN. IT CANNOT EVEN BE SAID THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE CHILDREN IN THE VARIOUS STUDIES WE HAVE REVIEWED SHOWED AN INCREASE IN AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN RESPONSE TO THE VIOLENT FARE TO WHICH THEY WERE EXPOSED. THE EVIDENCE DOES INDICATE THAT TELEVISED VIOLENCE MAY LEAD TO INCREASED AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN CERTAIN SUBGROUPS OF CHILDREN, WHO MIGHT CONSTITUTE A SMALL PORTION OR A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF YOUNG TELEVISION VIEWERS. THE EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES REVIEWED DISCUSS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO DISPLAY AN INCREASE IN AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR AFTER EXPOSURE TO TELEVISED VIOLENCE. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN (AGES FOUR TO SIX) THOSE MOST RESPONSIVE TO TELEVISION VIOLENCE ARE THOSE WHO ARE HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE TO START WITH - WHO ARE PRONE TO ENGAGE IN SPONTANEOUS AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS AGAINST THEIR PLAYMATES AND, IN THE CASE OF BOYS, WHO DISPLAY PLEASURE IN VIEWING VIOLENCE BEING INFLICTED UPON OTHERS. THE VERY YOUNG HAVE DIFFICULTY COMPREHENDING THE CONTEXTUAL SETTING IN WHICH VIOLENT ACTS ARE DEPICTED AND DO NOT GRASP THE MEANING OF CUES OR LABELS CONCERNING THE MAKE-BELIEVE CHARACTER OF VIOLENCE EPISODES IN FICTIONAL PROGRAMS. FOR OLDER CHILDREN, ONE STUDY HAS FOUND THAT LABELING VIOLENCE ON A TELEVISION PROGRAM AS MAKE-BELIEVE RATHER THAN AS REAL REDUCES THE INCIDENCE OF INDUCED AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. CONTEXTUAL CUES TO THE MOTIVATION OF THE AGGRESSOR AND TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF ACTS OF VIOLENCE MIGHT ALSO MODIFY THE IMPACT OF TELEVISED VIOLENCE, BUT EVIDENCE ON THIS TOPIC IS INCONCLUSIVE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)
TELEVISION AND GROWING UP - THE IMPACT OF TELEVISED VIOLENCE - REPORT TO THE SURGEON GENERAL, US PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE FROM THE SURGEON GENERAL'S SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TELEVISION AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
NCJ Number
18009
Date Published
1972
Length
178 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT SURVEYS THE LITERATURE AND DISCUSSES ORIGINAL RESEARCH ON TELEVISION VIEWING HABITS, THE PRESENTATION OF VIOLENT INCIDENTS, AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VIEWING AGGRESSION AND AGGRESSIVE ACTING-OUT.
Abstract