Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill: A Call to Action Against TV

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NOTES

INTRODUCTION

Adolescents who copy crimes ... correct flaws that may have caused the television crime to fail: Wendy Josephson, "Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages." Ottawa: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, 1995, 40.

Scientific evidence has established that screen portrayals of violence need not lead to reinforcement of aggressive attitudes and behaviors ... Joel Federman, Television Violence Study, vol. 3. Santa Barbara: University of California, 1998, 7-11.

CHAPTER 1: IT'S A VIOLENT WORLD AFTER ALL

According to InterPol, between 1977 and 1993 the per capita "serious assault" rate increased ... InterPol International Crime Statistics, InterPol, Lyons, France, vols. 1977 to 1994.

The Japanese crime data (30 percent increase in juvenile violent crime in 1997): BBC News Online, "Japanese tackle teenage knife attacks," Friday, February 6, 1998.

According to FBI reports, crime is down 7 percent: Fox Butterfield, "Crime Fell 7 Percent in '98, Continuing a 7-Year Trend," The New York Times, May 17, 1999, 14.

From 1960 through 1991 the U.S. population increased by 40 percent, yet violent crime increased by 500 percent; murders increased by 170 percent, rapes 520 percent, and aggravated assaults 600 percent: Ronald Kotulak, Inside the Brain: Revolutionary Discoveries of How the Mind Works. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1996, 69.

In 1996 there were 19,654 murders, 95,769 reported rapes, over 1 million cases of aggravated assault, and 537,050 robberies, amounting to a loss of about $500 million in stolen property: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States 1996, Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics. Washington, D.C.; U.S. Department of Justice, 1996.

Murder is the least committed violent crime, although the most often reported crime on the nightly news: Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post, "Murder Rates Fall-But Not on Network News," The Seattle Times, August 13, 1997, A9.

Figure 1- Violent Crime in America: "Statistical Abstract of the United States." Washington, D.C.: The U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, editions 1957 to 1997.

Professor James Q. Wilson quote: Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 1996, 301.

According to the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps, a hypothetical wound that ... Dave Grossman, "Evolution of Weaponry," in Encyclopedia of Violence: Peace and Conflict. New York: Academic Press, 1999.

The per capita incarceration rate in America more than quadrupled between 1970, when it was at 97 people per 100,000, and 1997, when it reached 440 per 100,000: Statistical Abstract of the United States. Washington, D.C.: The U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, editions 1957 to 1997.

John J. DiIulio quote: Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 1996, 301.

In Richmond ... "zero tolerance" ... has been credited with cutting murders by 65 percent: Virginia Governor James Gilmore, quoted in Virginia Governor James Gilmore, quoted in U.S. News & World Report, November 16, 1998.

In Boston ... led to an 80 percent drop in youth homicides from 1990 to 1995, and in 1996 not a single youth died in a firearm homicide: President Clinton, State of the Union Address, "The President's Anti-Gang and Youth Violence Strategy-An Overview," February 4, 1997.

Among young people fifteen to twenty-four years old, murder is the second-leading cause of death. For African-American youths, murder is number one; Every 5 minutes a child is arrested in America for committing a violent crime, and gun-related violence takes the life of an American child every three hours; A child growing up in Washington, D.C., or Chicago is fifteen times more likely to be murdered than a child in Northern Ireland: Ellen Wartella, Adriana Olivarez, Nancy Jennings, "Children and Television Violence in the United States," in Children and Media Violence: Yearbook from the UNESCO International Clearinghouse on Children and Violence on the Screen, eds. U. Carlsson and C. Von Felitzen. Nordicom: Goteborg University, 1998, 55.

. . . 4,881 gangs in the United States: Daniel Flannery, C. Ronald Huff, Michael Manos, "Youth Gangs: A Developmental Perspective," in Delinquent Violent Youth: Theory and Interventions, eds. T. Gullotta, G. Adams, R. Montemayor. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1998, 176.

Since 1960 teen suicide has tripled: John Crudele and Richard Erickson, Making Sense of Adolescence: How to Parent from the Heart. Minneapolis: John Crudele Productions, 1995, 139.

Every day an estimated 270,000 students bring guns to school; One of every fifty children has a parent in prison: Ronald Kotulak, Inside the Brain: Revolutionary Discoveries of How the Mind Works. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1997, 93.

At least 160,000 children miss school every day because they fear an attack or intimidation by other students: National Education Association statistics, in Suellen Fried and Paula Fried, Bullies and Victims: Helping Your Child Through the Schoolyard Battlefield. New York: M. Evans and Company, 1996, xii.

One out of three girls and one out of seven boys are sexually abused by the time they reach the age of eighteen: Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, The Courage to Heal-A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1988, 20.

Figures 2and 3- Violent Crime Arrest Rate for Juvenile Males and Juvenile Females: Graphs compiled by authors using data from Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States 1996, Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, 1996.

Stephen M. Case, of America Online, says that 80 percent of teenagers on A 0 L say that what happened at Columbine could happen in their school. Ken Auletta. "What I Did at Summer Camp," The New Yorker, July 26, 1999, 48.

Diane Levin quote: Ann Cornell, "TV, Video Game Violence Cause Aggressive Behavior, Leads to Crime, Experts Warn," Lion and Lamb Newsletter, Video Game Violence (Internet Information).

CHAPTER 2: NOT JUST A "TOASTER WITH PICTURES"

Brandon Tartikoff quote: John Caputo, "Tune Out the Tube: television viewing poor substitute for summer recreation," The Spokesman-Review, June 30, 1991, A-17.

Since 1950 there has been a total of more than 3,500 research studies ... Ellen Wartella, Adriana Olivarez, Nancy Jennings, "Children and Television Violence in the United States," in Children and Media Violence: Yearbook from the UNESCO International Clearinghouse on Children and Violence on the Screen, eds. U. Carlsson and C. Von Felitzen. Nordicom: Goteborg University, 1998, 57.

One random analysis of almost 1,000 of these studies found that all save 18 (12 of those were funded by the television industry) demonstrate ... Dr. Scott Snyder, in a 1998 presentation at the annual meeting of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry. "Clinical Psychiatry News," International Medical News Group, 1998,26(7), 36.

In the myriad studies done over the last four decades, experts have found three basic negative effects ... "Safeguarding Our Youth: Violence Prevention for Our Nation's Children, Report from the Working Group on Media." Washington, D.C., Center for Media Literacy, July 20-21, 1993, 4.

Since 1982, television violence has increased 780 percent ... Phil Phillips, Saturday Morning Mind Control. Nashville: Oliver- Nelson Books, 1991, 54.

The first U.S. Congressional hearings on the question took place in 1952 ... John P. Murray, "Studying Television Violence: A Research Agenda for the 21st Century," in Research Paradigms, Television, and Social Behavior, eds. Joy Asamen and Gordon Berry. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1998, 370.

. . . when only around a quarter of American households had television sets ... Dr. Brandon Centerwall, "Journal of the American Medical Association," June 10, 1992-vol. 267, no. 22, "Television and violence: The scale of the problem and where to go from here," page 3,061, fig. 2.

. . . the "university of the air" brought quality programming ... Mary Megee, On Television: Teach the Children, a video. San Francisco: California Newsreel, 1991.

Concerns about television violence in the mid-50s ... totally unacceptable risk: John P. Murray, "Impact of Televised Violence," Kansas State University, http://www.ksu.edulhumec/impact.htm. 1-2.

In 1969, Senator John Pastore ... invited the Surgeon General ... John P. Murray, "Children and Television Violence," Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy, vol. no. 3 (1995), 10.

1972 Surgeon General's Report: Surgeon General's Scientific Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behavior, Television and Growing Up: The Impact of Television Violence. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1972.

Quote from the National Institute of Mental Health Report: Pearl D. Bouthilet, L. Lazar, J. Eds. National Institute of Mental Health, Television and Behavior: Ten Years of Scientific Progress and Implications for the Eighties, vol. 1, Summary Report. Washington D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1982.

Eron and Huesmann's study: L. D. Eron and L. R. Huesmann, "The Control of Aggressive Behavior by Changes in Attitudes, Values, and the Conditions of Learning," in Advances in the Study of Aggression, eds. R. J. Blanchard and D. C. Blanchard. Orlando: Academic Press, Inc., 1984, 139-171.

McBeth Williams's study: Tannis McBeth Williams, The Impact of Television: A Natural Experiment in Three Communities. New York: Academic Press, 1986.

Centerwall's study: Brandon Centerwall, "Television and Violence: The Scale of the Problem and Where to Go from Here," The Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 267 (June 10, 1992), 3059-3063.

"There never was a moment of 'Aha!' It simply happened": Gloria DeGaetano, personal interview with Dr. Brandon Centerwall, June 15, 1998.

In a classic 1974 study ... Ronald Drabman and Margaret Thomas, "Does media violence increase children's toleration of real-life aggression?" Developmental Psychology, vol. 10, 1974, 418-421.

... one of the more benign movies of the 1990s ... Vincent Canby's observations in Michael Medved, Hollywood vs. America: Popular Culture and the War on Traditional Values. New York: HarperCollins, 1992, 187.

Miller quote: Michael Medved, Hollywood vs. America: Popular Culture and the War on Traditional Values. New York: HarperCollins, 1992, 190-191.

Power Rangers contains about two hundred acts of violence per hour: Chris J. Boyatzis, "Of Power Rangers and V-Chips," Young Children, vol. 52, no. 7 (November 1997), 75.

... cartoons averaging twenty-five acts of violence per hour: A. Huston, E. Donnerstein, et aI., Big World, Small Screen: The Role of Television in American Society. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1992, 136.

British children under the age of twelve were not allowed to see Batman: "Batman Off Limits to Kids in Britain," Reuter Press, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 31, 1989, C-5.

Swedish children under the age of fifteen ... Turtles movies. Description of audiences for films by Swedish Bureau of Censors, http://www.statensbiografbyra.se.

Fright reactions: "Problems Frequently Caused by Scary Television and Movies," in Joanne Cantor, Mommy, I'm Scared: How TV and Movies Frighten Children and What We Can Do to Protect Them. Orlando: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1998, 215.

Cantor quote: Joanne Cantor, Ph.D., Mommy, I'm Scared: How TV and Movies Frighten Children and What We Can Do to Protect Them. Orlando: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1998, 12-13.

23 million Americans suffer from some sort of anxiety-based disorder: Stephen Hall, "Fear Itself: What we know about how it works, how it can be treated and what it tells us about our unconscious," The New York Times Magazine, February 28, 1999, 44.

Hall quote: Stephen Hall, "Fear Itself: What we know about how it works, how it can be treated and what it tells us about our unconscious," The New York Times Magazine, February 28, 1999, 45.

George Gerbner study: George Gerbner and Nancy Signorielli, Violence Profile, 1967 Through 1988-89: Enduring Patterns, manuscript. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg School of Communication, 1990; George Gerbner, et al., "Growing Up with Television: The Cultivation Perspective," in J. Bryant and D. Zillmann (eds.), Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum, 17-41.

Center for Media and Public Affairs study: R. Lichter and D. Amundson, "A Day of Television Violence." Washington, D.C.: Center for Media and Public Affairs, 1992; R. Lichter and D. Amundson, "A Day of TV Violence: 1992 vs. 1994." Washington, D.C.: Center for Media and Public Affairs, 1994; Elizabeth Kolbert, "Study Finds TV Violence on the Rise," The New York Times, August 5, 1994, A9.

Newton Minow quote: Newton Minow quoted in E. Barnouw, Tube of Plenty: The Evolution of American Television (New York: Oxford University Press, 1975), 300.

Mark Fowler quote: C. Mayer, "FCC Chief's Fears: Fowler Sees Threat in Regulation," Washington Post, February 6, 1983, K-6.

. . . in the 1980-81 season, when the FCC was discussing deregulation of children's programming, violence on children's television shows reached its highest level in twenty years: thirty-three acts of violence per hour: John P. Murray, "Impact of Televised Violence," Kansas State University, http://www.ksu.edu/humec/impact.htm. 5.

By 1987, the sales of violent toys had soared more than 600 percent: Levin, Diane, Remote Control Childhood? Combating the Hazards of Media Culture. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1998, 10.

Television Violence Act: Newsletter from Senator Paul Simon, December 12, 1990.

Children's Television Act: Brian Sullivan, "Children's TV Bill Becomes Law," National Coalition on Television Violence Press Release, December 28, 1990.

. . . such programs as G.I. Joe, Leave It to Beaver, The Jetsons, and James Bond, Jr.... Newton Minow and Craig Lamay, "Making Television Safe for Kids," book excerpt in Time, June 26, 1995, 70; Cox News Service, "TV Stations Say 'Toons, Reruns Teach Kids," Bellevue Journal American, August 30, 1992, B-6.

The 1990 Report, Watching America quote: Michael Medved, Hollywood vs. America: Popular Culture and the War on Traditional Values. New York: HarperCollins, 1992, 196-197.

Barry Diller quote: Terry Pristin, "Soul-Searching on Violence by the Industry," The Los Angeles Times, May 18, 1992, Home Section, 1.

National Association of Broadcasters "Statement of Principles": Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters, "Statement of Principles of Radio and Television Broadcasting," Issued by the Board of Directors of the National Association of Broadcasters, adopted, 1990; reaffirmed 1992.

National Television Violence Study: George Comstock, "Television Research: Past Problems and Present Issues," in Research Paradigms, Television, and Social Behavior, eds. Joy Asamen and Gordon Berry. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1998, 32.

The broadcast industry ... financed its own three-year study: George Comstock, "Television Research: Past Problems and Present Issues," in Research Paradigms, Television, and Social Behavior, eds. Joy Asamen and Gordon Berry. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1998, 32.

Facts from National Television Study: Federman, Joel (ed.), National Television Violence Study, Vol. 3, Executive Summary. Santa Barbara: University of California, 1998, 29-42.

Marty Franks quote: Jeannine Aversa (The Associated Press), "Prime-Time Television on the Rise," The Seattle Times, April, 16, 1998, A-3.

George Comstock quote: George Comstock, "Television Research: Past Problems and Present Issues," in Research Paradigms, Television, and Social Behavior, eds. Joy Asamen and Gordon Berry. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1998, 32.

. . . the largest study ever conducted which surveyed five thousand twelve-year-olds in twenty-three countries ... Jo Grobel, "The UNESCO Global Study on Media Violence: Report Presented to the Director General of UNESCO," in Children and Media Violence: Yearbook from the UNESCO International Clearinghouse on Children and Violence on the Screen, eds. U. Carlsson and C. Von Felitzen. Nordicom: Goteborg University, 1998, 181-199.

A recent study examining 2,380 major movie releases from 1988 to 1997 indicates ... Armstrong Williams, "Extra! Extra! Family-friendly films make money for Hollywood," Eastside Journal, June 6, 1999, B-4.

CHAPTER 3: PRETENDING TO BE FREDDY KRUEGER

Many believe that the desire for murderous violence is largely unnatural: Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, "Psychological effects of Combat," in The Oxford Companion to American Military History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Brigadier General S. L. A. Marshall first observed ... by nature, are not close-range, interpersonal killers: S. L. A. Marshall, Men Against Fire. Gloucester: Peter Smith, 1978,51, 78-79.

A preschooler is exposed to nearly 10,000 violent episodes each year Federman, Joel (ed.), National Television Violence Study, Vol. 3, Executive Summary. Santa Barbara: University of California, 1998, 34.

Nearly 40 percent of all violent incidents on television are initiated by characters who possess qualities that make them attractive role models to kids ... More than half of violent incidents feature physical aggression that would be lethal or incapacitating if it were to occur in real life: Federman, Joel (ed.), National Television Violence Study, Vol. 3, Executive Summary. Santa Barbara: University of California, 1998, 29.

By age eighteen, a typical American child will have seen at least two hundred thousand dramatized acts of violence and forty thousand screen murders: President Clinton, in his national address on media violence following the Littleton Massacre.

Poussaint quote: Poussaint, Alvin M.D., "Taking Movie Ratings Seriously: The Risks Faced by Children Allowed to Watch Films Meant for Adults Are as Real as Those from Alcohol, Tobacco, or Abuse," in Good Housekeeping, April 1997, 74.

Bruner quote: Gloria DeGaetano, "Learning from Creative Play," in Television and the Lives of Our Children (Redmond: Train of Thought Publishing, 1998), 35.

The most popular children's television shows in 1995 were ... G. Fabrikant, "The Young and Restless Audience," The New York Times, April 18, 1996, D1.

That infants can, and do, imitate an array of adult facial features ... Brandon Centerwall, "Television and Violence: The Scale of the Problem and Where to Go from Here," The Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 267 (June 10, 1992), 3059.

Emotionally laden images are even more efficient at catching and holding the attention of youngsters ... Wendy Josephson, Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages. Ottawa: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, 1995, 17-19.

... case of a preschooler who expressed fear and hostility ... Wendy Josephson, Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages. Ottawa: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, 1995, 19.

... but they do not possess an instinct for gauging whether a behavior ought to be imitated: Brandon Centerwall, "Television and Violence: The Scale of the Problem and Where to Go from Here," The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 267 (June 10, 1992), 3059.

... "they have a refrigerator, and there are such things as refrigerators": H. Kelly, "Reasoning About Realities: Children's Evaluations of Televisions and Books," in H. Kelly and H. Gardner (eds.), New Directions for Child Development: Viewing Children Through Television, no. 13. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1981, 63.

. . . an Indiana school board had to issue an advisory ... Neal Lawrence, "What's happening to our children?" Midwest Today, December 1993.

A seven-year-old boy described a deliberate attempt to reduce his own fear ... Since identifying with an aggressive hero ... is chilling indeed: Wendy Josephson, Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages. Ottawa: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, 1995, 32.

It has been found that the more unrealistic the character, the more preschoolers both want to be like that character and think they are like that character: D. G. Perry and K. Bussey, "Self-Reinforcement in High and Low Aggressive Boys Following Acts of Aggression," Child Development, vol. 48, 1977, 653-657.

. . . young children are more likely to choose fantasy heroes over real-life heroes ... rather than from friends, siblings, or parents: J. French and S. Pena, "Children's Hero Play of the 20th Century: Changes Resulting From Television's Influence," Child Study Journal, vol. 21, 1991, 79-94.

Children with a propensity for violence usually have both learning and behavior problems ... Gloria DeGaetano, "Cycle Effects from Long-Term Viewing of Television Violence," in G. DeGaetano and K. Bander, Screen Smarts: A Family Guide to Media Literacy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996, 57.

Like 56 percent of kids between ages twelve and seventeen ... "Television in the Home, The 1997 Survey of Parents and Children," The Annenberg Public Policy Center, 1997, in "TV in the Bedroom," Better Viewing Magazine, September/October 1997, 3.

An estimated four million American children are victimized each year by physical abuse ... and other traumatic events: Ronald Kotulak, Inside the Brain: Revolutionary Discoveries of How the Mind Works. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1996, 89.

Research has found that abused children ... most likely to commit violent crimes later in life: Wendy Josephson, Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages. Ottawa: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, 1995, 47.

Violent or aggressive people have decreased activity ... leading to a short fuse: Two of four characteristics listed by Daniel G. Amen, M.D., in Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness. New York: Times Books, 1998, 212.

The brain of the child is not a miniature version of the adult brain: Florida Starting Points Initiative with support from the Carnegie Corporation, Maximizing Washington's Brain Power: We Need to Use It or Lose It, October 1997, 7.

In Florida, for instance, a six-year-old boy and his friend ... Brandon Centerwall, "The TV Message is Mayhem," Encyclopaedia Britannica: 1995 Medical and Health Annual. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 1995, 94-95.

When children start off in an alarm state with high noradrenaline and impulsive behavior ... revert to low noradrenaline levels and calculating behaviors: Perry, Bruce, M.D., Ph.D., "Incubated in Terror: Neurodevelopmental Factors in the 'Cycle of Violence,''' in Children in a Violent Society, Joy D. Osofsky, ed. New York: The Guilford Press, 1997, 124-149.

Research indicates that children may be deliberately trying to conquer their fears ... through repeated exposures to horror movies: D. Zillmann and J. Bryant, "Affect, Mood, and Emotion as Determinants of Selective Exposure," in D. Zillmann and J. Bryant, eds., Selective Exposure to Communication. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1985, 157-190.

Belson study: William Belson, Television Violence and the Adolescent Boy. Farnborough, UK: Saxon House, Teakfield Limited, 1978. John P. Murray, "Studying Television Violence: A Research Agenda for the 21st Century," in Research Paradigms, Television, and Social Behavior, eds. Joy Asamen and Gordon Berry. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1998, 387-388.

Constant exposure ... incapable of producing socially acceptable emotional responses: Paul Gathercoal, "Brain Research and Mediated Experience: An Interpretation of the Implications for Education," Clearing House, Vol. 63, February 1990, 271.

The Japanese army very effectively used classical conditioning with their soldiers: Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, "We are training our kids to kill," Saturday Evening Post, August 1999, 70.

The conditioning of our children by violent visual entertainment creates an "acquired deficiency" in this immune system. AVIDS ... Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 1996, xviii.

CHAPTER 4: "IT'S IMPORTANT TO FEEL SOMETHING WHEN YOU KILL"

We must assume that what we know of the more benign, outdated games of the 1970s ... cannot be considered valid for the games that have been put on the market in the last five years: Eugene Provenzo in The Social Effects of Electronic Games: An Annotated Bibliography, eds. Joel Federman, S. Carbone, Helen Chen, and William Munn. Studio City: Mediascope, 1996, ii.

"Globally, annual video game revenues now exceed $18 billion. In the United States alone, video game revenues exceed $10 billion annually, nearly double the amount Americans spend going to the movies. On average, American children who have home game systems play with them about ninety minutes a day": eds. Joel Federman, S. Carbone, Helen Chen, and William Munn, The Social Effects of Electronic Games: An Annotated Bibliography (Studio City: Mediascope, 1996), i.

. . . 49 percent of young teens indicate a preference for violent games, while only 2 percent prefer educational ones: Jeanne B. Funk, "Reevaluating the Impact of Video Garnes," Clinical Pediatrics, vol. 32, no. 2, 1993, 86-90.

Patricia Greenfield quote: Eugene Provenza, Video Kids (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1991), 47-48.

More than 60 percent of children report that they play video games longer than they intend to play: Mark D. Griffiths and N. Hunt, "Computer game playing in adolescence: Prevalence and demographic indicators," Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, vol. 5, 1995, 189-193.

Four basic elements of video games (we have expanded these to make points about violent video games): Jane M. Healy, Endangered Minds: Why Kids Don't Think and What to Do About It (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1990), 207.

. . . studies show that generally boys' preferences ... Jeanne B. Funk, "Reevaluating the Impact of Video Games," Clinical Pediatrics, vol. 32, no. 2, 1993, 86-90.

For girls ... associated with lower self-esteem: Jeanne B. Funk, Debra D. Buchman, "Playing Violent Video and Computer Games and Adolescent Self-Concept," Journal of Communication, vol. 46, Spring 1996, 19-32.

Study on arcade use among adolescents: Sue Fisher, "Identifying Video Game Addiction in Children and Adolescents," Addictive Behaviors, vol. 19, 545-553.

Dr. Donald Shifrin quote: Gloria DeGaetano, personal interview, June 22, 1999.

. . . college students who had played a violent virtual reality game ... Sandra L. Calvert and Siu-Lan Tan, "Impact of virtual reality on young adults' physiological arousal and aggressive thoughts: Interaction versus observation," Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, vol. no. 5, 1, 125-139.

Mortal Kombat study: Mary E. Ballard and J. Rose Wiest, "Mortal Kombat: The Effects of Violent Video Technology on Males' Hostility and Cardiovascular Responding," March 1995, 8; paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (61st, Indianapolis, Ind., March 30-April 2, 1995).

Soldiers in that war spent a lot of time firing their guns the firing rate was a mere 15 percent among riflemen S. L. A. Marshall, Men Against Fire. Gloucester: Peter Smith, 1978, 51.

Their introduction is undeniably responsible for increasing the firing rate from 15 to 20 percent in World War II to 95 percent in Vietnam ... 75 percent to 80 percent of the killing on the modern battlefield is a direct result of the simulators. Ken Murray, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, and R. W. Kentridge, "Behavioral Psychology," in Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict. San Diego: Academic Press, 1999.

Time Crisis brochure quote: Personal correspondence, Jack Thompson and Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, June 1999.

WingMan Force: Advertising copy in PC Gamer, cited by President Clinton in his national speech on media violence after the Littleton, Colorado, massacre, June 1, 1999.

Wesley Schafer quote: Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, personal interviews conducted with Wesley Schafer, Union, SC, January 1998.

These two avid video game players fired twenty-seven shots from a range of over one hundred yards, and hit fifteen people: Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, personal interviews conducted with law enforcement officers after the Jonesboro massacre, March 1998.

Description of Duke Nukem game: Media Watch Online: "Duke's the King Baby," http://www.mediawatch.com.

Gary Eng Walk quote: Gary Eng Walk. "All Gore," Entertainment Weekly, Summer Double Issue '99, 143.

Doug Lowenstein quote: Mark Boal. "One Step Ahead of the Law." salon.com, July 19, 1999.

Duke Nukem, rated M for mature audiences, seventeen and older, is shelved next to Eggs of Steel, a kiddie game about an animated egg. Susan Nielsen, "A beginner's guide to becoming a video game prude," The Seattle Times, February 21, 1999, B 7-8.

"Fatalities can be the best part of Mortal Kombat," Mortal Kombat action toys are labeled, "For children four and up"; "As easy as killing babies with axes"; "More fun than shooting your neighbor's cat": Susan Nielsen, "A beginner's guide to becoming a video game prude, The Seattle Times, February 21, 1999, B 7-8.

Capcom's latest Street Fighter proclaims, "The killer in me is just beginning"; Robert Lindsey quote: "Game Makers Downplay Violent Role," USA Today, Internet site (ctc8229.htm at http://www.usatoday.com). 2.

"The Creators of Redneck Rampage are about to bring you a new, urban drama ... ": "Kingpin: Life of Crime," http//www.interplay.com/kingpin.

CHAPTER 5: DON'T .JUST STAND THERE ... DO SOMETHING!

1998 ~'State of Children's Television" report: "V-Chip Debuts, Ratings Confuse," Better Viewing Magazine, September/ October 1998, 3.

Bruce Perry Quote: Perry, Bruce, M.D., Ph.D., "Incubated in Terror: Neurodevelopmental Factors in the 'Cycle of Violence,' " in Maximizing Washington State's Brain Power. Olympia: Department of Health and Human Services, Fall 1998, 8.

A recent Canadian study demonstrated that 40 percent of parents ... A study by Tony Charlton cited by Paul Majendide, "TV Dominates Family Life," The Seattle Times, April 1, 1998, E-6.

And an American study has shown that 82 percent of parents ... do not encourage reading at home: Eric Jensen, Teaching With the Brain in Mind. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1998, 23.

Russell Harter quote: Jane M. Healy in Endangered Minds: Why Kids Don't Think and What to Do About It. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1990, 208.

"Gratuitous Violence Is 200 Times Faster with a D-Link Network"; "No cure. No hope. Only death"; "Destroying Your Enemies Isn't Enough ... You Must Devour Their Souls": PC Gamer, vol. 6, no. 8, August 1999. Advertising on pages 142, 104, 22-23.

40 percent of ten- to seventeen-year-olds said they would be less likely to watch such a program. "The Power of Three Hours," Better Viewing Magazine, September/October 1997, 3.

Story of Tim: Beverly Robertson Jackson, "Creating a Climate for Healing in a Violent Society," Young Children, vol. 52, no. 7 (November 1997), 70.

"21st Century Media Responsibility Act": Mark Boal, "One Step Ahead of the Law," salon.com, July 19, 1999.

Mason City, Iowa, has embraced a plan by their mayor to rid the town of violent video game, vowing "zero tolerance" for these murder simulators: "A Ban on Trouble," Newsweek, June 14, 1999, 4.

President Clinton quotes: National address by President Clinton, June 1, 1999.

Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar quote: Ken Salazar, OpEd Column: "Initiatives may arise from dialogue," Denver Post, 13 June 1999.

Jack Thompson quote: Personal correspondence, Jack Thompson and Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, June 1999.

In New York, a father taught his eight-year-old how to use and fire a gun ... Fox News, "Hannity & Colmes," May 12, 1999.

Jennifer James quote: Jennifer James, "Death rattle: last gasp of a failed mind-set," The Seattle Times, July 4, 1999, L6.

This is exactly the technique used by some very notable citizens to call for an entertainment industry "Code of Conduct": "An Appeal to Hollywood," http://www.media-appeal.org.

RESOURCES

A DEFINITION OF MEDIA VIOLENCE

Definition written by authors using the following sources:

Belson, W. Television Violence and the Adolescent Boy. Franborough: Teakfield, 1978.

DeGaetano, Gloria, and Kathleen Bander. Screen Smarts: A Family Guide to Media Literacy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.

Comstock, G., and H. Paik. Television and the American Child. San Diego: Academic Press, 1991.

Federman, Joel, ed. National Television Violence Study, Vol. 3, Executive Summary. Santa Barbara: University of California, 1998.

Murray, John. "Children and Television Violence," in Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy, 1995, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 7-14.

VOICES OF CONCERN ABOUT ON-SCREEN VIOLENCE

Information from the American Medical Association: Physician Guide to Media Violence, The American Medical Association, 1996, 4-6.

Information from the American Psychological Association: Violence and Youth: Psychology's Response; vol. 1: Summary Report of the American Psychological Association Commission on Violence and Youth, The American Psychological Association, 1993,33-35, 77-78.

Information from the American Academy of Pediatrics: "Statement for the Senate Commerce Science and Transportation Committee on the Television Rating System," American Academy of Pediatrics, February 27, 1997.

Information from the National Association for the Education of Young Children: "NAEYC Position Statement on Violence in the Lives of Children," National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1996.

Information from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: http://www.aacap.org excerpt used with permission from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Information from the National Parentrreacher Association: Resolutions used with permission of the National PTA.

A CHRONOLOGY OF MAJOR FINDINGS, STATEMENTS, AND ACTIONS ON MEDIA VIOLENCE, 1952-1999

Adapted from http://www.videofreedom.com/chrono.html (Original source: Charles S. Clark, Communication Quarterly, September 4, 1993).

[admin]

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Asamen, Joy, and Gordon Berry, eds. Research Paradigms, Television, and Social Behavior. Sage Publications, 1998.

Cantor, Joanne. Mommy, I'm Scared: How TV and Movies Frighten Children and What We Can Do to Protect Them. Harcourt Brace, 1998.

Carlsson, C., and C. Von Felitzen, eds. Children and Media Violence: Yearbook from the UNESCO International Clearinghouse on Children and Violence on the Screen. Nordicom: Goteborg University, 1998.

Condry, John. The Psychology of Television. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, 1989.

Cress, Joseph, and Burt Berlowe. Peaceful Parenting in a Violent World. Perspective Publications, 1995.

Crudele, John, and Richard Erickson. Making Sense of Adolescence: How to Parent from the Heart. John Crudele Productions, 1995.

DeGaetano, Gloria. Media Smarts for Young Folks. Train of Thought Publishing, 1999.

DeGaetano, Gloria. Television and the Lives of Our Children. Train of Thought Publishing, 1998.

DeGaetano, Gloria and K. Bander. Screen Smarts: A Family Guide to Media Literacy. Houghton Mifflin, 1996.

Duhon-Sells, Rose, ed. Dealing with Youth Violence: What Schools and Communities Need to Know. National Education Services, 1995.

Eron, Leonard, et al. Reason to Hope: A Psychosocial Perspective on Violence and Youth. American Psychological Association, 1994.

Federman, Joel. Television Violence Study, vol. 3. University of California, 1998.

Fried, Suellen, and Paula Fried. Bullies and Victims: Helping Your Child Through the Schoolyard Battlefield. M. Evans and Company, 1996.

Garbarino, James. Raising Children in a Socially Toxic Environment. Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1995.

Garbarino, James, et al. Children in Danger: Coping with the Consequences of Community Violence. Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1992.

Grossman, Dave. On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society. Little, Brown & Co, 1996.

Gullotta, T., et al., eds. Delinquent Violent Youth: Theory and Interventions. Sage Publications, 1998.

Healy, Jane M. Endangered Minds: Why Our Kids Don't Think and What to Do About It. Simon and Schuster, 1991.

Healy, Jane M. Failure to Connect: How Computers Affect Our Children's Minds-for Better and Worse. Simon and Schuster, 1998.

Josephson, Wendy. Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages. Ottawa: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, 1995.

Kotulak, Ronald. Inside the Brain: Revolutionary Discoveries of How the Mind Works. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1996.

Levin, Diane. Remote Control Childhood? Combating the Hazards of a Media Culture. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1998.

Levin, Diane. Teaching Young Children in Violent Times: Building a Peaceable Classroom. Educators for Social Responsibility, 1994.

Levine, James. Getting Men Involved: Strategies for Early Childhood Programs. Scholastic, 1994.

Levine, Madeline. Viewing Violence: How Media Violence Affects Your Child's and Adolescent's Development. Doubleday, 1996.

Medved, Michael. Hollywood vs. America: Popular Culture and the War on Traditional Values. HarperCollins, 1992.

Provenzo, Eugene. Video Kids. Harvard University Press, 1991.

Slaby, R. Early Violence Prevention: Tools for Teaching Young Children. National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1995.

Walsh, David. Selling Out America's Children: How America Puts Profits Before Values -- and What Parents Can Do. Fairview Press, 1994.

[admin]

INDEX

Page numbers in italics indicate figures.

abuse. See child abuse; domestic violence
Acquired Violence Immune System
Deficiency Syndrome (AVIDS),
64
action figures, 39, 51, 53, 80-81
addiction, video game, 68-70
adolescents. See teenagers
African-American youth murder victims,
17
age
American cultural insensitivity to
appropriate viewing fare, 34-37
appropriate television news viewing,
96-97
movie rating system, 109
prime years for violent criminal
acts, 16
See also preschoolers; teenagers
aggravated assault. See assault
aggression, 7, 133, 134
brain activity and, 58-64, 89
and decreased prefrontal cortex
activity, 58
heroic fantasies of, 55
studies of increased levels of,
26-32
video game arousal effects, 70-71
See also assault rates; violent
crime
Allen, Steve, 116
American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry
(AACAP), 127-28
American Academy of Pediatrics,
The (AAP), 87, 125-26, 134
American Medical Association, The
(AMA), 123-24, 133
American Psychological Association
(APA), 124-25, 134-35
Americans for Responsible Television,
147
America Online, 18
animal behavior, 47-48
animal mutilation, 7, 18
anxiety, 35, 36
arcade games. See video and computer
games
Arkansas. See Jonesboro (Ark.) middle
school shootings
Army, U.S.
combat simulator usage, 4-5, 74
Medical Service Corps, 14
arrest rates
violent crime, 18, 19
assault rates, 11, 12, 15
comparison of murder, assault, and
imprisonment (1957-97), 13
international per-<:apita rate
increase (1977-93), 10-11
Atrium Society Publications, 147-48
Australia, 10
AVIDS. See Acquired Violence
Immune System Deficiency Syndrome

Batman movies, 35
behavior problems, 10, 56, 59, 61, 88
Belgium, 10-11
Belson, William, 62
Ben Hur (movie), 85
Bennett, William J., 116
Boston (Mass.) crime deterrents, 16
boys. See males
brain activity, 58-64
language skills as violence
inhibitor, 89-90
violence-provoked cognitive confusion,
55
violent imagery as overstimulant,
59
brain stem reactivity, 59
Bruner, Jerome, 52
Bullitt (movie), 34
bullying, 18, 56
Burke, Edmund, 33
Bush, George, 39-40

cable television violence, 42, 44
Canada, 11, 134
Canadians Concerned About Violence
in Entertainment
(C-CAVE), 148
Cantor, Joanne, 36
Capcom, 80, 81
Carneal, Michael, 4, 61, 75-76,
111, 112
CarnEvil (video game), 79
Carter, jimmy, 116
cartoon violence, 34-35, 37, 49
toy counterparts, 39
Case, Stephen M., 18
CBS television, 133
Center for Media Literacy, 148-49
Center for Media and Public Affairs,
37-38, 135
Center for Successful Parenting,
149-50
Center for the Study and Prevention
of Violence, 149
Centerwall, Brandon, 31-32, 134
Chicago (111.) child murder-victim
potential, 17
child abuse, 15, 57, 59
exposure to screen violence as,
49-50, 57
sexual, 18
child development
and brain activity stimulation,
58-64
impact of violent imagery on,
53-58
literacy skills-building and, 89-92
reduced viewing rules and, 87-88
"Children and Media Violence: A
Yearbook from the UNESCO
International Clearinghouse on
Children and Violence on the
Screen, " 45, 135-36
Children's Television Act of 1990,
39-40
chronology of media violence finding,
statements, and actions
(1952-99), 132-36
civil litigation. See lawsuits
classical conditioning, 63, 64
Clinton, Bill, 1, 7, 104-5, 109, 136
CNN Newsroom and World View
(television program), 97
"Code of Conduct, " 116
cognition. See brain activity
Colorado. See Littleton (Colo.) high
school shootings
Columbine High School. See Littleton
(Colo.) high school shootmgs
commercials, television, 45
Committee for Children, 150
compassion, 61
computers
placement in home, 88
reduced use-time rules, 87
See also video and computer
games; World Wide Web
Comstock, George, 44
conditioning, 48, 63, 64, 73. See
also desensitization
Congress, U.S., 39-41
hearings on television violence,
26-28, 39, 132
violence-restrictive legislative initiatives,
107-8
conversational skills, 90-92
crime. See assault rates; law enforcement;
violent crime
Cultural Environment Movement
(CEM), 150-51
Cuomo, Mario, 116
Cypress Hill (rap group), 79

Death Wish (movie), 34
Denmark, 11
desensitization, 2-3, 26
cultural, 32-37
of young children, 7, 60-64
development, child. See child development
Dewey, John, 49
Dick Tracy (movie), 34
Die-Hard 2 (movie), 85
DiIulio, John J., 15
Diller, Barry, 41
Disney Company, 105, 113
domestic violence, 12, 56-57, 59
Doom (video game), 67, 83
Littleton perpetrators' practice in,
101, 77
as mechanical training simulator,
71-72, 77
drug abuse, 15
Duck Hunt (video game), 74
Duke Nukem (video game), 67, 78,
80

educational television, 98
Education Department, U.S., 135
Eggs of Steel (video game), 80
ego development, 56
Ellerbee, Linda, 97
E-mail campaigns, anti-media violence,
115-16
empathy, 61
Endangered Minds (Healey), 68-69
England. See Great Britain
environmental influences, 49-53
Eron, Leonard, 29, 133
Exorcist, The (movie), 36

Falklands War, 48, 74
fantasy, 54-55
Fathers' Network, 151
FATS (Fire Arms Training Simulator),
74
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation),
11, 12, 48
FCC (Federal Communications
Commission), 39, 115
address and telephone number,
145
rating system investigation, 111
fears, children's, 26, 35-37
feelings, articulation of, 90
females
arrest rate for violent crimes, 20
video game use, 68
fight or flight response, 59
films. See movies; television
firearms. See guns
Fire Arms Training Simulator
(FATS), 74
First Amendment, 1, 40, 105, 111,
112
"First Person Shooter" video games,
71, 78, 79, 81
Ford, Gerald R., 116
Fowler, Mark, 39
France, 11
Franks, Marty, 43-44
free speech. See First Amendment
French Connection, The (movie), 34
Fresh (movie), 95
FTC (Federal Trade Commission),
104-5

gaming industry. See video games
gangs, 12, 16, 17
Gerbner, George, 37
G.I. Joe (cartoon), 34-35, 40
girls. See females
Golden, Andrew, 61
government officials, list of, 145
G-rated movies, 45
Great Britain, 11, 35
Greece, 10
Greenfield, Patricia, 67
Griffith, Paddy, 48
GrowSmartBrains, 151-52
Guncon, 74
guns, 16, 17, 21
marksmanship simulators, 4-5,
71-80, 112
Gunsmoke (television program), 27

Hall, Stephen, 36
Harris, Eric, 9, 21, 77, 101
Harter, Russell, 91
Healey, Jane, 68-69
Health and Human Services Department,
U.S., 135
Heavy Freight Films, 152
heroes, screen, 51, 52, 56, 57
Hitman (book), 111
Holmes, Richard, 48
home video games. See video and
computer games
homicide. See murders
horror movies, 36, 93
House of Representatives, U.S.,
hearings on television violence,
132
House of the Dead (video game), 79
Huesmann, L. Rowell, 29, 133
Hungary, 11
Hustler (magazine), 108
Hyde, Henry, 107
hyperactivity, 59, 88
hypervigilancy, 59-60
identification, 53-58

id Software, 112
imagination, 61
imitation, 51-52
identification and, 53-58
imprisonment. See incarceration
impulsive behavior, 59, 61, 89
incarceration, 17
rate comparisons, 13, 15
indicator species, 17
insensitivity. See desensitization
Institute on Violence and Destructive
Behavior, 152-53
interactive video games. See video
and computer games
Internet. See World Wide Web
InterPol, 10
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
(movie), 36

Jackson, Beverly Robertson,
100-101
James, Jennifer, 114
James Bond, Jr. (television program),
40
Japan, 11
Jetsons, The (cartoon), 40
Jonesboro (Ark.) middle school
shootings, 2, 3, 22, 61, 76-77
Journal of the American Medical
Association, 32, 134
joystick, similarity to pistol grip,
79
Judd, Naomi, 116
Justice Department, U.S., 104-5,
111, 135

Kennard, Bill, 115
Kentucky. See Paducah (Ky.) school
shootings
Kingpin: Life of Crime (video game),
79, 81
Klebold, Dylan, 9, 21, 77, 101
Krueger, Freddy (movie character),
55

language skills, 89-92
Laugh-In (television program), 44
law enforcement, 4, 48
anticrime measures, 16
training simulators, 73, 74, 75
See also incarceration
laws. See legislation
lawsuits
first-known against television network,
133
against media and video game
manufacturers, 75, 110, 111
product liability, 113
learning problems, 56, 88
Leave It to Beaver (television program),
40
legislation
Children's Television Act, 39-40
media violence-restriction initiatives,
107-10
Levin, Diane, 18
Lieberman, Joseph, 107-8
Lindsey, Robert, 81
Lion and the Lamb Project, 153
listening skills, 92
literacy skills, 89-92
litigation. See lawsuits
Littleton (Colo.) high school shootings,
2, 6-7, 22, 104
characteristics of perpetrators, 9,
21, 77, 101
youth reactions to, 18, 63
Lowenstein, Doug, 80

MACS (Multipurpose Arcade Combat
Simulator), 74
males
juvenile violent crime arrest rate,
19
study of teenage exposure to television
violence, 62
study of video game reactions, 68,
71
Marine Corps, U.S., 77
Marine Doom simulator, 77
marksmanship practice, video games
as, 4-5, 72-74
Marshall, S. L. A., 48
Masked Rider (television program),
52
Mason City, Iowa, 109
Matrix, The (movie), 34
McCain, John, 107-8
Media Awareness Network,
153-54
Media Education Foundation,
154-55
media literacy organizations, list of,
147-58
Mediascope, Inc., 42, 66, 155
media violence, 3-4
behavioral links with, 7, 10,
24-26
damaging and potentially good
effects of, 6-8
definition of, 121-22
increased levels of graphic imagery
in, 22
list of prevention organizations,
147-58
production techniques, 92-94
regulatory approaches, 104-18
research studies findings, 24-26,
29-32, 42-45
See also movies; television; video
and computer games
MediaWise, 155-56
medical technology, 14
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
(television program), 52-53
military psychology, 2, 48, 63
military simulators, 4-5, 72, 73, 74,
77
Miller, Mark Crispin, 34
Minow, Newton N., 134
"vast wasteland" speech, 38, 39,
132
Mommy, I'm Scared: How TV and
Movies Frighten Children and
What We Can Do to Protect
Them (Cantor), 36
Mortal Kombat (video game), 67,
71, 80
Mothers Against Violence in America
(MAVIA), 156
movies
as aggression stimulators, 7
cognitive confusion from, 55
desensitization to violence from,
33-34
fearful reactions to, 35-36, 55
listing of major studios, 141-42
listing of theater exhibitors, 143
parental guidance on, 85, 93, 95
rating system, 34, 45, 109, 143
rating system initiatives, 107-10
sensational vs. sensitive violence
portrayals in, 94-96
"slasher" genre effects, 22, 83, 110
murder, 6, 11, 12, 16, 31
comparison with assault and violent
crime rates (1957-97),
12-14, 13
military psychology studies, 48
urban youth liability to, 17
video game practice-stimulus,
76-77
See also school shootings
Murrow, Edward R., 27

National Alliance for Non-Violent
Programming (NANP), 156-57
National Association of Broadcasters
(NAB)
Mark Fowler's speech to, 39
Newton Minow's "vast wasteland"
speech to, 38, 132
National Association for the Education
of Young Children
(NAEYC), 126-27
National Cable Television Association
(NCT A), 42
National Centers for Disease Control,
violence research program,
31-32
National Coalition on Television
Violence (NCTV), 157
National Commission on the Causes
and Prevention of Violence,
133
National Council for Families and
Television, 135
National Funding Collaborative on
Violence Prevention, 9
National Institute of Mental Health,
report on link between television
violence and aggressive
behavior, 29, 133
National Institute on Media and the
Family, 157-58
National Parent/Teacher Association
(National PTA), 128-31, 133,
134
National Television Violence Study
(NTVS), 42-43, 44, 70, 135
Natural Born Killers (movie), 33,
106
NC-17-rated movies, 45
Netherlands, 11
New Zealand, 10
Nick News (television program), 197
Nightmare on Elm Street, A (movie),
55
nightmares, 35, 36
noradrenaline levels, 58, 61
Norway, 10

007 Golden Eye (video game), 71
operant conditioning, 73
organizations, media literacy and
prevention, 157-58

Pac-Man (video game), 65
Paducah (Ky.) school shootings, 4,
22, 61, 75-76
lawsuits, 75, 110, 111
parental recourses, 82-118
alternate quality entertainment
choices, 98-99
approaches to television news violence,
96-98
banned use of violent video
games, 99-100
consistent viewing-time rule
enforcement, 87-89
discussions with children, 85-86,
92-96, 100-101
guidelines of responsibilities,
83-87
language and reading skills
encouragement, 89-92
list of action resources, 137-46
list of watch-dog organizations,
147-58
litigation, 75, 110, 111, 113
movie viewing with children, 85, 95
national-level measures, 106-18
peer pressure confrontation,
101-3
as process, 84-86
Pastore, John, 28
Patton (movie), 85
PC Gamer (magazine), 93
Peckinpah, Sam, 34
peer pressure, parental confrontation
with, 101-3
Perry, Bruce, 89-90
PG-rated movies, 34, 45
PG-13-rated movies, 109
physiological arousal, video games
and, 71
play, imitation of screen violence,
51-52
PlayStation 2, 4
police. See law enforcement
Pong (video game), 65
pornography industry, 8
Postal (video game), 67, 78, 106
post-traumatic stress disorder, 36
Poussaint, Alvin, 49-50
poverty, 15
Powell, Colin, 116
power issues, 85-86
Power Rangers, 34, 52-53
prefrontal cortex activity, 58, 89
preschoolers, 7, 96-97
cartoon violence exposure, 49
credulity of, 55
cultural desensitivity and viewing
habits of, 34-35
imitative behavior, 54, 56
as television merchandising targets,
51
production techniques, 92-94
PTA. See National Parent/Teacher
Association
Pulp Fiction (movie), 34
punishments, 29-30, 133

Quake (video game), 79

racism, 14, 15
rape, 11, 12
rating systems
Clinton on enforcement of, 109
FCC investigation of, 111
industry organizations, 143
legislative initiatives, 107-8
movie, 34, 45, 109, 143
television, 44, 88-89
video games, 80, 143
reading
to children, 90
skills as violence inhibitor, 89-90
Redneck Rampage (video game),
78-79, 81
Richmond (Va.) crime deterrents, 16
robberies, 11, 12
role models, television characters as,
49
Roots (television program), 54
R-rated movies, 45, 109

Salazar, Ken, 109
Schafer, Wesley, 76
school shootings, 2-3
Jonesboro (Ark.), 2, 76-77
Littleton (Colo.), 2, 9, 18-19, 21,
63, 77, 101
Paducah (Ky.), 4, 75-76, 110, 111
student reactions to, 2-3, 18-19,
63
Schwarzkopf, Norman, 116
Scotland, 11
Searchers, The (movie), 34
See It Now (television program),
27
self-expression skills, 91
Senate, U.S., hearings on television
violence, 27, 132
sexual abuse, 18
She-Ra (cartoon), 34-35
Shifrin, Donald, 70
Signorielli, Nancy, 37
simulators, 4-5, 71-80, 112
slasher films, 22, 83, 110
societal values, decay of, 21
sociopathic behaviors, 61
Soldier of Fortune (magazine), 108
Sounder (movie), 94-95
South Carolina, convenience store
murder, 76
Spider-Man (television program),
52
"State of Children's Television"
(1998 report), 88-89
stimulus-response training, 73, 76.
See also conditioning
Street Fighter (video game), 80-81
stress, 56
suicide, teen, 17
Super Mario Brothers (video game),
65
Super Nintendo, 5
Surgeon General, U.S., 28, 133
Sweden, 10, 35

Tartikoff, Brandon, 23
Task Force on Family Violence, 133
Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's
Entertainment (TRUCE),
158
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 35,
55, 85
teenagers, 62, 65
interactive video game popularity
with, 65-71
peer pressure and, 102-3
suicide rate increase, 17
television news viewing, 97-98
Telecommunications Act of 1996,
137
television, 23-46
as aggressive and violent behavior
trigger, 7, 26-32
cartoon violence, 34-35, 37, 49
commercials, 45
congressional hearings, 26-28
distorted perception of reality
from, 37
escalation of children's exposure
to violence on, 3, 37-38
first violence-incitement lawsuit,
133
industry "Statement of Principles, "
41-42, 135
listing of networks and stations,
137-41
merchandising tie-ins, 51
national study of violence on,
42-43, 44
news program violence, 96-98
parental program selection, 98-99
parental reduced viewing-time
rules, 87-89
rating system, 44, 88-89
reading as alternative to, 90-91
research studies, 29-32, 42-45
surgeon general's report, 28-29
V-chip blocking device, 44, 88-89
"Television and Growing Up: The
Impact of Televised Violence"
(U.S. Surgeon General's report),
28-29
Television Violence Act (TVA) of
1990, 39, 40, 41, 134
Thompson, Jack, 110
Time Crisis (video game), 74
toddlers, 34, 51
toys
list of manufacturers and retailers,
145-46
as reinforcement of screen violence,
39, 51, 53, 80-81
television cartoon tie-ins, 39
Turn Off the TV (organization), 158
21st-Century Media Responsibility
Act (proposed), 107-8

UNESCO, 45, 135-36
University of California, 42
University of North Carolina, 42
University of Texas, 42
Untouchables, The (television program),
27

V-chip device, 44, 88-89
video and computer games, 4-5,
65-81, 105, 113
as addictive, 68-70
add-on packages, 77
escapist quality of, 69
"First Person Shooter, " 71, 78,
79, 81
inadequacy of rating system, 80
interactive effects of, 65-66,
67-68, 71-72
legislative rating system initiative,
107-8
linked with school shooting perpetrators,
75-77, 101
list of manufacturers, 144-45
list of rental companies, 143-44
manufacturer denials, 79-80
manufacturer liability, 112
as marksmanship practice, 4-5,
71-77
on-line availability of, 66, 81
parental countermeasures, 87-88,
93, 99-100
psychological and physiological
effects of, 68-71
technological advances, 65, 66,
77-78
Vietnam War, 74
violence. See aggression; assault
rates; media violence; movies;
murders; television; video and
computer games
violence immune system, 64
violent crime, 6-7, 17
comparison of murder, assault,
and imprisonment rates
(1957-97), 13
juvenile arrest rates, 19, 20
local deterrents, 16
rate increase, 1960-1991, 11
See also murders; school shootings
visual imagery, 91-92

Walk, Gary Eng, 79-80
warfare, 48, 63, 74, 77
Washington (D.C.) child murder-victim
potential, 17
Washington (state) media-violence
control legislative initiative,
110
watch-dog organizations, listing of,
147-58
"Watching America" (1990 report),
40
Westside Middle School. See Jonesboro
(Ark.) middle school
shootings
Williams, Tannis McBeth, 30-31
Wilson, James Q., 14
WingMan Force (video game), 75
World War II, 48, 63, 72, 74
World Wide Web, 18, 80, 101,
116
violent video games availability,
66, 81
World Wrestling Federation, action
figures sold by, 53
wrestling, professional, 53, 106
writing skills, 89-92

X-Men (television program), 52

youth gangs, 12, 16, 17

Zamora v. CBS, et at. (1979), 133
zero-tolerance policies, 16, 109

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

LT. COL DAVE GROSSMAN (U.S.A., RET.) is the author of On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society. As a West Point psychology professor and professor of military science, Grossman trains medical and health professionals on how to deal with and prevent killing. He trained mental health professionals in the aftermath of the Jonesboro shootings, and has been an expert witness and consultant in several murder cases, including that of Timothy McVeigh and Michael Carneal.

GLORIA DEGAETANO is a nationally recognized educator in the field of media violence, and the author of the critically acclaimed Screen Smarts: A Family Guide to Media Literacy.