ADVISORY/Mediascope Provides Research on FTC Study Regarding Entertainment Violence.

Entertainment & News Editors

ADVISORY...

--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)

Mediascope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing research about the effects of media, has objective research and data available about violence and its impact on children, which may be of value in preparing articles about the recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announcement about violence in the media.

Mediascope has published objective studies demonstrating that there are three harmful effects of viewing media violence: learning aggressive behaviors; becoming desensitized toward real-world violence; and a fear of victimization, causing mistrust of others.

Mediascope facilitated and published the report, The National Television Violence Study (NTVS), conducted by four universities around the country and funded by the National Cable Television Association.

Among the study's most important findings is that the risk of one of the three effects occurring is greatly influenced by the way in which the violence is depicted. For example, if a character perceived as good is perpetrating the violence, viewers might imitate that violent behavior; if the character is perceived as evil, viewers might become fearful and afraid of others.

Following are nine factors that, when viewed in the context of a program, may contribute to positive or harmful effects on viewers:

1. Perpetrator: Children are more likely to imitate behaviors

learned from characters they like or are attracted to, or who

they think are similar to themselves. This means they are more

likely to act aggressively after watching a hero or superhero 

behave violently than after seeing a villain do so.

2. Victim: If a child perceives the victim of violence as

attractive or like himself or herself, an increase in

emotional involvement and heightened anxiety and fear will

likely be experienced.

3. Reason: When violence is seen as justified (the hero must slay 

the villain to save the world), it's more likely to encourage

aggressive behavior. When the act is not justified (a robber

shoots a store clerk), aggressive tendencies are reduced.

4. Weapons: The presence of weapons can activate aggressive

thought and behavior in viewers and may influence the

interpretation of neutral events as possibly threatening.

5. Prolonged Exposure: Desensitization and a numbing effect that

inhibits feelings of sympathy and empathy can be a result of

repeated violence in the media. The overall effect can be

acceptance of violence as a way to solve problems.

6. Realism: The more realistic a violent act is perceived to be,

the more likely it will elicit aggressive behavior. (Young

children, however, do not always understand the difference

between fantasy and reality.)

7. Rewards and Punishments: Violence that is rewarded or violence

that is not punished increases the likelihood of learning

aggression in children and adults. Violence that is punished

decreases that risk.

8. Consequences: Visual depiction of pain and suffering can

actually inhibit aggressive behavior in viewers. When there

are no consequences, aggression is increased.

9. Humor: When combined with violence, humor may trivialize or

decrease a viewer's perception of violence and its

consequences.

The study found that not all violence is harmful to watch, and violence should not be confused with conflict in a story. In fact, conflict between characters, if handled responsibly by filmmakers, can help viewers learn negotiation skills and peaceful alternatives to violence.

When violence is needed to tell a story, viewers -- most importantly, children -- should see the painful consequences and the punishment, hopefully right away so a clear connection between the act and the outcome can be made.

Mediascope has engaged in intensive objective research for many years, including the NTVS report previously issued and an upcoming study to be formally released in 2001. The Center for Mental Health Services, the federal agency that administers school-community based anti-violence programs, has funded Mediascope to update its 1996 book "The Social Effects of Electronic Interactive Games." Mediascope has also published a new book, "More Than a Movie: Ethics in Entertainment," to be released next month.

Hubert Jessup, president of Mediascope, explained that Mediascope was not surprised by the FTC's findings that all three branches of the entertainment industry -- movies, music and video games -- routinely promote to children violent product deemed unacceptable for children based upon their own ratings system.

However, "Mediascope applauds the FTC's encouragement of increased voluntary self-regulation, along with continuous public oversight, as the right approach to decrease the industry's use of inappropriate marketing strategies directed toward children," Jessup said.

Mediascope is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization promoting responsible depiction of health and social issues in the media.

Note to Editors: For further information or to arrange interviews with Mediascope representatives, contact Scott Regberg at 310/475-5735.