MEDIA VIOLENCE AND DEVIANCY

• NCJ Number: 4993
• Journal: Criminologist Volume: 7 Issue: 24 Dated: (SPRING 1972) Pages: 65-71
• Author(s): R J ROSHIER
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Forensic Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

ARGUMENT THAT THE MASS MEDIA REINFORCE EXISTING CONVENTIONAL AND DEVIANT COMMITMENTS TO VIOLENCE.

Abstract

CULTURALLY ACCEPTABLE VIOLENCE IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE MEDIA'S REINFORCEMENT OF A GENERAL VIEW OF THE APPROPRIATENESS OF VIOLENCE AS A MEANS OF DEALING WITH POLITICALLY OR SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE PEOPLE. DEVIANT VIOLENCE IS SUPPORTED FIRSTLY THROUGH THE PARTIAL CONVERGENCE OF CONVENTIONAL AND DEVIANT DEFINITIONS AT SUBTERRANEAN LEVEL (WHICH FIND PARTICLUAR EXPRESSION IN THE MEDIA) AND SECONDLY THROUGH THE ABILITY OF DEVIANTS TO NEGATE SOME OF THE TABOOS ON VIOLENCE THAT DO EXIST (THROUGH THE TECHNIQUES OF NEUTRALISATION) AND HENCE EXTEND THE MEDIA-SUPPORTED COMMITMENT TO VIOLENCE TO A GREATER RANGE OF SITUATIONS. IF THIS VIEW IS CORRECT, THE PARTICULAR CONCERN ABOUT EXPLICIT VIOLENCE IS MISPLACED SINCE (UNLESS ONE ADHERES TO 'AROUSAL' THEORIES) THIS IS NO MORE SIGNIFICANT THAT THE RUN-OF-THE-MILL VIOLENCE PORTRAYED EVERY DAY. ALSO, THE ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE ANTIVIOLENCE 'MESSAGE' OF VIOLENT MEDIA CONTENT OFTEN PUT FORWARD BY WRITERS AND PRODUCERS ARE EQUALLY MISPLACED. BOTH VIEWS HAVE ONE POINT IN COMMON - FAILURE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE COMPLEX WAY THAT AUDIENCES THEMSELVES INTERPRET AND USE MEDIA CONTENT.