NCJ Number
58549
Date Published
1978
Length
306 pages
Annotation
FOCUSING ON THE EFFECTS OF SEX AND VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA ON THE VIEWING PUBLIC, THIS BRITISH VOLUME EXAMINES EXISTING RESEARCH ON THE SUBJECT, POINTING OUT THE NEED TO DISTINGUISH RELIABLE WORK FROM MORALISTIC ANSWERS.
Abstract
NEARLY ALL HOMES IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM HAVE TELEVISION SETS, WITH THE AVERAGE FAMILY IN THE UNITED STATES WATCHING ABOUT 40 HOURS EACH WEEK. THIS INCREASE IN TELEVISION VIEWING HAS BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY ESCALATING SCENES OF VIOLENCE AND SEX IN ALL TYPES OF MEDIA, INCREASED AVAILABILITY OF PORNOGRAPHY, AND ADVANCEMENTS IN SEX EDUCATION. NUMEROUS OBSERVERS HAVE BLAMED THESE FACTORS FOR THE DRAMATIC GROWTH IN THE CRIME RATE IN WESTERN COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY IN REGARD TO SEX CRIMES. THROUGH EXAMINATION OF THE FACTS, INCLUDING EXPERIMENTAL FIELD STUDIES AND LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS, AND BY LOOKING AT INDIVIDUAL CASE STUDIES TO DETERMINE THE ROLE THAT PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL MAY PLAY IN CAUSING INDIVIDUAL ACTS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE, FINDINGS INDICATE THAT AGGRESSIVE ACTS CAN BE EVOKED BY THE VIEWING OF VIOLENT SCENES PORTRAYED ON FILM, TELEVISION, OR IN THE THEATER. THERE IS AMPLE EVIDENCE THAT MEDIA VIOLENCE INCREASES VIEWER AGGRESSION AND MAY ALSO INCREASE VIEWER SEXUAL AROUSAL. ALTHOUGH PORNOGRAPHY INDISPUTABLY AFFECTS VIEWERS AND READERS, THESE EFFECTS CAN BE EXTREMELY VARIABLE. FEELINGS MAY RANGE FROM TITILLATION TO GUILT OR REVULSION, OR THEY MAY LEAD TO MALADJUSTMENT AND SEXUAL PROBLEMS AND ULTIMATELY TO AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE IN SOME VIEWERS. CERTAIN OPEN PORTRAYALS OF VIOLENCE CAN BE HARMLESS AND EVEN, FOR SOME PEOPLE, BENEFICIAL; OTHER KINDS OF SEXUAL PORTRAYAL, HOWEVER, SEEM TO PUSH SPECTATORS TOWARDS TYPES OF SEXUALITY HARMFUL TO THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. WITH BOTH SEX AND VIOLENCE, DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS ARE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE. THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE: MAKERS OF FILMS AND RELATED MEDIA SHOULD SHOW MORE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REGARDING THE PORTRAYAL OF VIOLENCE, CENSORSHIP SHOULD APPLY TO PORTRAYALS OF VIOLENCE AND PERVERTED SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, THE CONTENT OF A PRESENTATION SHOULD BE JUDGED IN RELATION TO THE PREVAILING TONE OF THE PRESENTATION. MORE RESEARCH IS SUGGESTED. STATISTICAL DATA, AN INDEX, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (WJR)