Study Links Aggressive Adults, TV Viewing

[coastie]

Monday, March 10, 2003 · Last updated 5:00 a.m. PT

Study Links Aggressive Adults, TV Viewing

By MALCOLM RITTER
AP SCIENCE WRITER

People who watch violent television as children behave more aggressively even 15 years later, according to one of the few TV violence studies to follow children into adulthood.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/aptv_story.asp?category=1401&slug=TV Violence&from=homeAP


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We've always heard it, some of us believed it, others said that it was a bunch of hoopla. Here's a study that claims to have proven it.

Do you agree?

 

[strathyboy]

Unfortunately, statistics prove only correlation, not causation. The link does not prove that one caused the other.

In addition, the article doesn't say much about other factors that may have influenced someone, such as changes in society or culture between the 1970's and today.

That being said, I think it's quite possible the study is correct in its assertions. I think parents need to know what their kids watch on television, and I think it unhealthy for children to watch too many violent tv programs.

 

[coastie]

That's a good point.

Given a smaller time frame (though that may too prove inconclusive) do you think it would be possible to identify the cause of violence in adults.

My opinion is that television violence can and does effect children, however, I think that music may effect them more. Though my prrof is only through experience, I feel strongly that music that evokes anger through it's lyrics is a contributing factor to teen violence.

I do listen to pretty "hard" music and feel more aggressive afterwards, however, it doesn't make me more violent than I would be if my adrenaline were running due to some other trigger.

But, if the music or television programming gratifies violence, I believe that it will cause the more impressionable age groups to adopt some of the behaviors.

 

[cenimo]

Back in the 50's when life made more sense, Westerns were in vogue...so, according to this report we should have seen a lot of old fashioned shoot outs-
drawing pistols from holsters aginst each other - in the streets...

funny thing, we didn't.

Just MHO, but this one falls under "need something to blame it on"...no one at all is reposnsiblre for anything they do and junior had no intention of robbing the convenience mart and shooting the clerk five times...but when he pulled in the parking lot, someone took the spot he thought he had and he had to back up...that made him angry and...... yeah, right

 

[Susan]

Yesterday at 01:00 PM cenimo said this in Post #4 (http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?postid=703462#post703462)

Back in the 50's when life made more sense, Westerns were in vogue...so, according to this report we should have seen a lot of old fashioned shoot outs-
drawing pistols from holsters aginst each other - in the streets...

funny thing, we didn't.

Just MHO, but this one falls under "need something to blame it on"...no one at all is reposnsiblre for anything they do and junior had no intention of robbing the convenience mart and shooting the clerk five times...but when he pulled in the parking lot, someone took the spot he thought he had and he had to back up...that made him angry and...... yeah, right

For once, I agree with you (all right, wake up, there was no reason to faint like that ~.^).

I believe that it is a combination of factors that lead to violence. While connecting one factor to all violence might look good so we have something to blame and something to get upset over, it is not a solution.

I personally believe that the sinful human nature and its lusts and drives are the largest components in violence (why, otherwise, would Cain have killed Abel, or why otherwise would people groups that have never been exposed to outside influences war with one another at all?) closely followed by real-life violence close to home (abusive parents, living in a war zone, living in a slum, etc.), accessibility to weapons (one reason the crime rate here in the US is higher than that in other more weapons-restrictive places), and just the oftentimes selfish and individualistic side of American culture.

That is the "fire" so to speak: and IMHO things like music, TV, bad potty training, not going to the right preschool, stepping on a snail when you were 2, not getting a proper lecture on the wrongness of hitting your brother when you were 5, or whatever other factor you want to blame are merely twigs in that fire.

If we really want to encourage nonviolence, we as a nation should not be involved in unjust wars, and should do more to restrict the easy availability of lethal weapons (like a monthlong cooling-off period for buying guns and the confiscation of any weapon from convicted criminals). We as families should teach our children the virtues of being peaceful, patient, and concerned with the well-being of others while refraining from verbal and physical abuse as a form of familial interaction. Most of all, we should witness for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as He is our peace, and He can do the inward work of the soul to convict sinners and free them.

~.^ that was just my worthless $.02, and I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

 

[Michael0701]

ahhhhh coastie, you hit the nail on the head with the music remark!!!

During the time of my life when I was completely lost, I listened to "Industrial Music" almost non stop. Volume set to 11. I was a road rager. One night I got into a fight right in the middle of a highway, the guy pulled a knife on me. One thing led to another and I had him in my arms off his feet heading to the railing and I was going to toss him off the elevated highway. A very brief moment of clarity saved me from killing this man. Did I learn something? No. Several years later I found myself in a jail cell charged with 3 felonies and 5 or 6 misdemeanors over a road rage incident. Did I learn something? You betcha!! It was a pivitol point in my life, I finally got it, I needed to mellow out. I stopped, cold turkey, listening to "agressive" music. Now I'm not in any way shape or form suggesting that the music "made" me do the things that I did, not at all. But I can not deny that it was the catalyst that raised my level of agression and the fuel which turned me into someone else. I still have some issues in me, I can see them come out when I am tooling down the highway and someone plays games with me and tries to instigate a situation, but with the music off I can calm myself down and avoid a heartache. Weird stuff, but true.

I praise the Lord!!  He saved me!!

 

[waterwizard]

Today at 04:40 AM Susan said this in Post #5



...accessibility to weapons (one reason the crime rate here in the US is higher than that in other more weapons-restrictive places), and just the oftentimes selfish and individualistic side of American culture. 

 
 ...and should do more to restrict the easy availability of lethal weapons (like a monthlong cooling-off period for buying guns and the confiscation of any weapon from convicted criminals).  

Susan, not to veer off the subject, but it is a fact that where there are more restrictive gun laws, crime rates go up.  Keeping "lethal weapons" out of the hands of law abiding citizens only adds to it.

Now, carry on.

 

[Morat]

waterwizard: Are you talking about Lott's statistics? The one's he furiously trying to account for?

Sorry, man. That's not clear cut either. Take Florida out of his statistics, and you find the situation is reveresed....

Anyways, back to TV. The study itself doesn't say what they say it does. It still doesn't differentiate between "Violent TV causing violent kids" and "Violent Kids liking Violent TV". If anything, it shows more support for the latter.

 

[Susan]

Today at 08:53 AM Morat said this in Post #8 (http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?postid=705485#post705485)
Anyways, back to TV. The study itself doesn't say what they say it does. It still doesn't differentiate between "Violent TV causing violent kids" and "Violent Kids liking Violent TV". If anything, it shows more support for the latter.

Agreed.

 

[Starscream]

10th March 2003 at 03:00 PM cenimo said this in Post #4

Back in the 50's when life made more sense, Westerns were in vogue...so, according to this report we should have seen a lot of old fashioned shoot outs-
drawing pistols from holsters aginst each other - in the streets...

funny thing, we didn't.

I came very close to agreeing with you for once

Except, of course, I don't see how life possible made more sense in the 50's with the problems found in that era.

 

[Starscream]

Yesterday at 10:00 AM waterwizard said this in Post #7

Susan, not to veer off the subject, but it is a fact that where there are more restrictive gun laws, crime rates go up.  Keeping "lethal weapons" out of the hands of law abiding citizens only adds to it.

Now, carry on.

I have never seen anything viable that backs that up ... why is that?  Why is such a often-used claim so hard to prove?

 

[coastie]

11th March 2003 at 07:01 AM Michael0701 said this in Post #6

ahhhhh coastie, you hit the nail on the head with the music remark!!!

During the time of my life when I was completely lost, I listened to "Industrial Music" almost non stop. Volume set to 11. I was a road rager. One night I got into a fight right in the middle of a highway, the guy pulled a knife on me. One thing led to another and I had him in my arms off his feet heading to the railing and I was going to toss him off the elevated highway. A very brief moment of clarity saved me from killing this man. Did I learn something? No. Several years later I found myself in a jail cell charged with 3 felonies and 5 or 6 misdemeanors over a road rage incident. Did I learn something? You betcha!! It was a pivitol point in my life, I finally got it, I needed to mellow out. I stopped, cold turkey, listening to "agressive" music. Now I'm not in any way shape or form suggesting that the music "made" me do the things that I did, not at all. But I can not deny that it was the catalyst that raised my level of agression and the fuel which turned me into someone else. I still have some issues in me, I can see them come out when I am tooling down the highway and someone plays games with me and tries to instigate a situation, but with the music off I can calm myself down and avoid a heartache. Weird stuff, but true.

I praise the Lord!!  He saved me!!

When I was in high school I listened to a lot of punk (i.e. Pennywise, NOFX) and got in A LOT of fights. I was also playing in a club hockey league that kind of turned the other way regarding figthing, so I had two sources of anger.

My senior year of high school I discovered surfing and Ben Harper. I mellowed considerably.

 

[Gerry]

10th March 2003 at 03:00 PM cenimo said this in Post #4

Back in the 50's when life made more sense, Westerns were in vogue...so, according to this report we should have seen a lot of old fashioned shoot outs-
drawing pistols from holsters aginst each other - in the streets...

funny thing, we didn't.

Just MHO, but this one falls under "need something to blame it on"...no one at all is reposnsiblre for anything they do and junior had no intention of robbing the convenience mart and shooting the clerk five times...but when he pulled in the parking lot, someone took the spot he thought he had and he had to back up...that made him angry and...... yeah, right

NO? CLEARLY you never went to Phoenix City, Ala. in the 50's!