Discusses why and how we should rate the content of television programs for violence

This third annual report presents comparative year-to-year data on the nature of violence on television across programme genres and channel types in the United States. It contains an analysis of how the new television rating system was initially implemented and tracks trends over three years in the use of programme advisories and content codes. It also evaluates public service announcements designed to prevent handgun violence among adolescents. Finally, it provides new analyses of `high risk' presentations of violence most likely to adversely affect younger audiences.

In 1969, Senator John Pastore requested that the Surgeon General appoint a committee to conduct an inquiry into television violence and its effect on children. When the Surgeon General's report was finally released in 1972—after a three-year inquiry and a cost of over $1.8 million—it angered and confused a number of critics, including politicians, the broadcast industry, many of the social scientists who had helped carry out the research, and the public. While the final consequences of the Report may not be played out for years to come, TV Violence and the Child presents a fascinating study of the Surgeon General's quest and, in effect, the process by which social science is recruited and its findings made relevant to public policy. In addition to dealing with television as an object of concern, the authors also consider the government's effectiveness when dealing with social objectives and the influence of citizen action on our communication systems. Their overwhelming conclusion is that the nation's institutions are ill-equipped for recruiting expert talent, providing clear findings, and carrying out objectives in this area of delicate human concern.

If one culprit is suspected above all others for encouraging society to become more violent and unfeeling, it is television. This medium, which has become so pervasive in the last 50 years, seems to play an enormous role in the lives of the vast majority of people. But who controls the content which exerts such an enormous influence and to an extent controls the people? What are they doing now and what will they be doing tomorrow? Is violence essential to sell toothpaste and hamburgers? What are our children becoming and what will their children be like? Will every child carry a gun or other weapon just waiting for someone to trigger their violent nature and ignite their preprogrammed anger?

Does violence on a movie, TV, or computer screen or in a song lyric beget violence in the streets? What about aggression and violence in televised sporting events? What are the known effects of violence in the media on the developing mind of a young child? Do rating systems and warning labels help in the effort to keep overtly violent materials out of the hands of children—or do they act as magnets? Where does violence in the media cross a line from legitimate entertainment and plot development to gratuitousness and even pornography? How do we define media violence, and just how much is there? What methodologies do behavioral scientists use to assess content and draw conclusions about effects, and how do we separate valid inferences from entrenched myths and assumptions? How should findings from research studies be translated into public policy? Students are able to explore these questions and more in the Encyclopedia of Media Violence. Entries examine theory, research, and debates as they relate to media violence in a manner that is accessible and jargon-free to help readers better understand questions from varied perspectives. From "Aggression" and "Animated Cartoons" to "V-chips" and "War Toys," this work provides balanced, comprehensive coverage of this hot-button issue. Features & Benefits: 134 signed entries are available both in print and electronically. Entries conclude with Cross-References and Suggestions for Further Readings to guide users to related entries and resources for further research. Although organized in A-to-Z fashion, a thematic Reader’s Guide in the front matter groups related entries by topic to make it easier for users to locate related entries of interest. In the electronic version, the Reader′s Guide combines with the Cross-References and a detailed Index to facilitate search-and-browse.

In this book, James Hamilton presents the first major theoretical and empirical examination of the market for television violence. Hamilton examines in detail the microstructure of incentives that operate at every level of television broadcasting, from programming and advertising to viewer behavior, so that remedies can be devised to reduce violent programming without restricting broadcasters' right to compete.

Violent video games are successfully marketed to and easily obtained by children and adolescents. Even the U.S. government distributes one such game, America's Army, through both the internet and its recruiting offices. Is there any scientific evidence to support the claims that violent games contribute to aggressive and violent behavior? As the first book to unite empirical research on and public policy options for violent video games, Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents will be an invaluable resource for student and professional researchers in social and developmental psychology and media studies.