JSA Summer School Congressional Workshop
Topic # 25
Does tv, music, movie and video game
brutality contribute to a rise in youth violence?
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Overview
Know your facts: The study of media violence analyzes the degree of correlation between themes of
violence in media sources (particularly in video games, television, and movies) with real-world aggression and violence over time. Many social scientists support the correlation. However, some scholars
argue that media research has methodological problems and that findings are exaggerated. Questions
to ponder: Does age level make a difference? Can we prove causal links between video games, music
or movies and violent behavior? Does art imitate life or vice versa? Is there a First Amendment issue
built into this topic? How effective are the various rating systems? What is the role of parents or teachers? Do personal traits play more of a role on aggression than what people watch or participate in?
Background references
• http://videogames.procon.org/
• http://www.allpsychologycareers.com/topics/media-violence.html
• http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/~dgentile/106027_08.pdf
• http://www.thenation.com/article/161741/supreme-courts-video-game-ruling-yes-violence-no-sex
• http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/facts/mediafacts.asp
• http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-11/osu-gui110613.php
• http://www.cybercollege.com/violence.htm
Use the following sites to help you form arguments and provide you with supporting evidence:
Citations supporting the affirmative
• http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/violent-video-games-aggression/2014/03/25/id/561521/
• http://videogames.procon.org/sourcefiles/Jointstatement.pdf
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/11/gun-violence-in-movies-pg-13-films_n_4255284.html
• http://videogames.procon.org/sourcefiles/APAresolution.pdf
• http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Dr-Oz/video-games-teens-harm-attention/2013/06/06/id/508376/
• http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/Facts_for_Families_Pages/
Children_And_TV_Violence_13.aspx
• http://www.apa.org/research/action/protect.aspx
• http://www.ehow.com/facts_5897003_effect-tv-internet-violence-children.html
Citations supporting the negative
• http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-Wire/video-games-violence-online-computer-gamersaggression-cooperation/2012/04/04/id/482301/
• http://www.ehow.com/info_8357089_effect-violence-movies-kids.html
• http://www.fepproject.org/factsheets/mediaviolence.html
• http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=7850
• http://www.ukessays.com/essays/media/video-game-violence-does-not-endanger-society-mediaessay.php
• http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED444757.pdf#page=31
• http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/20/opinion/ferguson-adam-lanza/index.html
• http://www.nerdyhumor.com/5-ridiculous-things-the-media-blamed-video-games-for/