Media Violence

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the ongoing debate over media portrayals of violence and whether these portrayals contribute to aggressive behavior in children. The paper looks at arguments on both sides of the issue and concludes that, ultimately, it is family upbringing, parental role models, cultural norms and individual personality that influences aggressive behavior more than violent cartoon shows or video games.

From the Paper:

"Gerard Jones would probably disagree. In his book Killing Monsters, Jones describes how and why children might in fact need fantasy violence in order to develop constructive coping skills. Fantasy violence might help children master their psychological and social realities, make sense out of complicated emotions like anger and sadness, develop self-confidence, self-efficacy, and a sense of humor. Moreover, fantasy violence especially as its depictions have evolved over recent years, might be highly beneficial for young girls. One of the book chapters in Killing Monsters, "Girl Power," demonstrates the relevance of physically strong female action heroes, and how such female action heroes can tremendously boost the self-esteem of young girls. Female action heroes, even and perhaps especially when they use violence to accomplish their goals, can help girls overcome the otherwise gender-biased tendencies within traditional media and within the overall culture."

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