Oh, wise guy, eh? *bonk*
- tom moody 3-12-2006 7:00 pm [add a comment]

"Since 1955, about 1,000 studies, reports, and commentaries concerning the impact of television violence have been published. The accumulated research clearly demonstrates a correlation between viewing violence and aggressive behavior."

That statement, made by the American Psychological Association in 1992, summarized its comprehensive review of research on the effects of media violence. Other organizations including the American Medical Association, National Institutes of Mental Health, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control came to similar conclusions.

One key study that showed the connection between media violence and real violence was the one by Dr. Leonard D. Eron. He followed a group of young people for 22 years and found that those who watched more television at age eight were more likely, at age 30, to have committed more serious crimes, to be more aggressive when drinking, and to punish their children more harshly than others. Others have repeated Eron's study and found similar results throughout the United States and other countries as well.

Another researcher, University of Washington epidemiologist Brandon Centerwall, surveyed young male felons imprisoned for committing violent crimes. Between one-quarter and one-third reported having consciously imitated crime techniques they saw on television.

"Laboratory" studies, says Ronald Slaby, media-violence expert at the Education Development Center, also show that media violence has an "aggressor effect." Children who watch a violent TV show, for example, act more aggressive immediately after the show.

We followed the Larry Fine dictum: "Leave 'im alone!"
("Oh, yeah, you, too, eh?" *bonk*)
- tom moody 3-12-2006 7:35 pm [add a comment]