NCJ Number
45864
Date Published
1976
Length
252 pages
Annotation
FOLLOWING A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL THE NATURE AND CONTENT OF LITERATURE, RADIO, FILMS, AND COMIC BOOKS, VIOLENCE IN CURRENT LITERATURE, BOOKS FOR CHILDREN, MAGAZINES, AND MUSIC IS EXAMINED.
Abstract
IN THIS FOURTH VOLUME IN A SERIES OF SEVEN, THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY (CANADA) REVIEWS THE VARIOUS LEGAL AND SOCIAL CONTROLS APPLIED TO THE MASS MEDIA. THE FIRST ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA BEGAN IN ENGLAND IN THE MID-19TH CENTURY WHEN VICTORIAN REFORMERS WERE CONCERNED THAT THE VIOLENCE OF THE 'PENNY PRESS' NOVELS CONTRIBUTED TO JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. IT WAS ONLY WITH THE RISE OF POPULAR EDUCATION AND A LARGE READING PUBLIC AMONG THE LOWER CLASSES THAT THE VIOLENT SHORT STORY OR NOVEL AS IT IS KNOWN TODAY CAME INTO BEING. LAWS, CODES OF ETHICS, AND VARIOUS SOCIAL CONTROLS WERE ALL USED TO KEEP THIS NEW PHENOMENON UNDER CONTROL. SIMILAR MEASURES WERE USED TO TRY TO INFLUENCE THE FORM AND CONTENT OF MOTION PICTURES, RADIO, AND COMIC BOOKS. MOST OF THE EXAMPLES GIVEN ARE FROM ENGLAND AND CANADA. THE SPECIFIC REVIEWS OF VIOLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE, IN BOOKS FOR CHILDREN, IN MAGAZINES, AND IN CONTEMPORARY MUSIC ALL CONCLUDE THAT TODAY'S MEDIA ACCEPT AS COMMONPLACE THAT WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN UNTHINKABLE AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. AN ESSAY ON CONTEMPORARY FICTION STRESSES THAT AFTER WORLD WAR II AND THE HORRORS OF NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMPS, THE WORLD CAN NEVER GO BACK TO THE UNSPOILED VIEW OF LIFE WITH ITS DENIAL OF HUMAN VIOLENCE. THE ESSAY ON CHILDREN'S LITERATURE POINTS OUT THAT CHILDREN'S STORIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FULL OF GORE, BUT THAT CONTEMPORARY ILLUSTRATIONS EMPHASIZE THE BLOODY PARTS OF THE STORIES. THIS REFLECTS A LONG-HELD BELIEF THAT IS IS QUITE PERMISSIBLE TO FRIGHTEN CHILDREN INTO GOOD BEHAVIOR. ONLY RECENTLY HAVE SUCH PICTURES BEEN QUESTIONED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE QUALITY OF THE PORTRAYAL AND NOT THE ACTUAL PORTRAYAL SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF CONCERN BECAUSE VIOLENCE IN LITERATURE TEACHES CHILDREN TO EVALUATE THE VIOLENCE AROUND THEM. A SIMILAR CONCLUSION IS REACHED FOR COMIC BOOKS. THE MAJOR MAGAZINES AVAILABLE IN CANADA ARE ANALYZED FOR VIOLENCE. GENERALLY, THE MOST POPULAR MAGAZINES EMPHASIZE HOME CARE, MECHANICS, AND OTHER NONVIOLENT TOPICS. THE PORNO-VIOLENT MAGAZINES ARE CONSIDERED AS A SEPARATE CATEGORY AND ARE CONTROLLED BY CANADIAN LAW. THE VIOLENCE OF ROCK MUSIC IS EXAMINED. IT IS CALLED HARMLESS IN AND OF ITSELF, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO TURN TO THIS CULTURE FOR SATISFACTION ARE CONSIDERED ALIENATED AND IN NEED OF HELP. TELEVISION IS NOT CONSIDERED BECAUSE THE ISSUES IT RAISES ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE FOUND IN LITERATURE AND RADIO. ALSO, THIS MEDIUM IS EXAMINED IN DETAIL IN VOLUME 5. FOR VOLUMES 1-3 AND 5-7, SEE NCJ 45861-45863 AND 45865-45867. (GLR)