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Abstract
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In 1973, 18,032 young Americans, 15 to 24 years of age, died in motor-vehicle accidents, 5182 were murdered, and 4098 committed suicide. The death rate, for this age group, was 19 per cent higher in 1973-74 than it had been in 1960-61, owing entirely to deaths by violence. The largest rise in deaths from homicide during the past two decades was at the ages of one to four. For a considerable proportion of American children and youth, the "culture of violence" is now both a major health threat and a way of life. One contributing factor is television's massive daily diet of symbolic crime and violence in "entertainment" programs. After numerous studies of televsion influence on real-life violence, including two major government commissions, the industry is experimenting with a 7 to 9 p.m. "Family Hour" (6 to 8 p.m. Central Time) from which violence, along with sex, has been largely banished. Three industry unions claim censorship and are suing. The medical profession is urged to concern itself with this serious and complex health hazard.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The intent of this article by Somers was to describe the negative effects of violence on television. The article also called on physicians, pediatricians, and other health care professionals to participate in the movement for more regulated, less violent network broadcasting, and to take a broader look at the causes of violence in American society.
METHODOLOGY:
The author employed a non-experimental design by reviewing efforts to reduce the amount of violence on television in the 1960s and 1970s. She then offered suggestions from the literature to assist health care professionals in their efforts to continue the campaign against televised violence.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
Between 1960 and 1974 the annual rate of murder in the United States grew over 100%, and the greatest number of victims and persons arrested were those aged 20 to 24. In New York City, in 1964, 1,279 children under the age of 16 were arrested for robbery, 131 were arrested for rape, and 30 were arrested for murder. By 1973 these rates skyrocketed to 4,449 for robbery, 181 for rape, and 94 for murder. During the same time period approximately three fourths of all network dramatic programs during the 8pm to 11pm prime-time slot contained violence as standard content. More disturbing than these rates was the fact that the film industry far surpassed television in its portrayal of violence. In addition to the volume, the type of violence had also changed; although violence was traditionally portrayed in a context of high tragedy, fantasy, or slapstick, it was transformed into violence in ordinary life during routine problem-solving Although studies also revealed that few children had access to television before the era of increased violence, a 1976 Nielsen survey revealed that preschoolers watched an average of 54 hours of television per week; this translated into 7 or 8 hours a day.
Two major federal studies implemented to investigate the increase in national violence were the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence (set up by President Johnson in 1968), and the Surgeon General's Scientific Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behavior (initiated by th Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1969). Although the studies were different, their conclusions were similar insofar as they found a causal relationship between televised violence and aggression in children. Shortly afte these hearings, the Federal Communications Commission received a barrage in complaints about violence on television; the complaints numbered 2,000 in 1972 and then rose to 25,000 in 1974. As a result, three networks agreed to a Family Viewing Hour between 7pm and 9pm Eastern time and 6pm to 8pm Central time. Durin this time violence was generally not shown. The author claimed that the Family Viewing Hour was only marginally successful because there were inconsistent definitions on acceptable programming, and most of the violent programs were simply moved to later time slots when children were still likely to watch. Less than two months after the initiation of the Family Viewing Hour three industry unions filed suit to force the FCC and the three networks to end the restrictions. They accused the networks of censorship and violation of the First Amendment. The author claimed that the arguments against censorship confused the issue because those filing suits were more concerned with profitable speech than free speech. Although censorship should not be embraced in every case, the autho argued, the dilemma of how to educate American youth required that concerned citizens take action against the prevalence of violence on television.
AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS:
The author closed by encouraging an epidemiologic approach to the dilemma of violence among young Americans which would rule out any single cause as the sole contributor. Many possible risk factor should be addressed including physical, demographic, socioeconomic, political, moral, cultural, etc. The autho also encouraged the American Medical Association to make their views known to th FCC and to legislators, and urged individual practitioners to help educate parents on the dilemmas inherent in violent television programming.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Television Viewing
KW - Television Violence
KW - Media Violence Effects
KW - Exposure to Violence
KW - Program-Film Content
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Violence Causes
KW - 1970s
KW - Juvenile Development
KW - Youth Development
KW - Social Development
Language: en |