Gun Violence and the Media

Paper Summary:

The need for guns in American society may be directly related to a disproportionate fear of violence. This fear is exacerbated by media reports of violence, not only in the United States, but also around the world. This paper argues that the public concept and related fear of crime becomes disproportionate to the actual occurrence of crime. This, in turn, creates the perception that the public needs to be armed in order to protect people against the many unapprehended criminals. The paper argues that this leads to unnecessary violence, such as accidents, or unforeseen violence, such as children having access to parents' weapons in the home.

From the Paper:

"Ironically, gun violence often starts with the family that bought a gun in order to protect themselves against this very violence. The greatest tragedy is that children are often either the victims or the unknowing perpetrators of this. Of course the media plays a large part here as well. Children are exposed to violence on television, and parents are not always able to supervise what these children see or what they are encouraged to see by school friends."

More papers on Gun Violence and the Media:

• Persuasive Essay # 9939 : "Violence in the Media"
• Essay # 46529 : "Television, Violence, and Kids"
• Essay # 34571 : "Media Moguls and the Public"

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