Media Violence

Jacob Hanke
May 12, 2014
jhanke@linfield.edu
Final Paper

Topic: Media Violence in Television Shows

Policy Question: Should current legislation add more restrictions for television in order to
decrease media violence?

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Table of Contents
Preface
Abstract
Introduction
Background Information on Television Violence Increasing
Effects of Children Watching Violent Television
Arguments in Defense for Television Violence
Physical Aggression
Rating Systems and Advertisements
Conclusion
References

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Preface
When I first started researching papers, articles and books I found out that I had little to
no experience. I came into class not knowing what I wanted to research and only bad stories
about Information Gathering. Information Gathering doesnt exactly have the best reputation
across campus. Coming into the class I had zero experience with Professor Thompson or Susan
Barnes-Whyte, but leaving I can say that both of them have taught me a great amount about my
writing skills and my potential. The process in how I came across my research subject started in
the fall of 2013 without realizing it. I heard guest speaker Douglas Gentile talk about media
violence and how video games are affecting children today, but I wasnt as intrigued with video
games like I was with television shows and movies. I then bounced ideas off of my roommate,

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Michael MacClanathan, about researching media violence, particularly in television and finally
decided to pursue television media violence.
My research process was interesting to say the least. When I first started I found three
books that I liked but two of them had been written by the same author so I used the most recent
one that was written. It was nice to get the books out of the way so quickly so that I could focus
on finding articles and trade journals. When finding general periodicals I found that in media
violence it was difficult to find an article that had enough information and was relevant to my
question. During the process I would always find articles that either talked about video games,
which was interesting, but was not about my topic or I would find articles that focused on how
good a television show was and contained no useful information. When I learned more about the
process of choosing my words wisely when searching for articles I would put violence or media
violence in quotations. Government documents were simple for me to find during the research
process. In class we learned how to use google advanced search, which was extremely helpful. It
allowed me to search .gov documents which sped up the process. Interviews were very helpful
because I was able to interview Professor Linder from campus was a part of Douglas Gentiles
research group and had knowledge about media violence pertaining to children. I was able to
know Hillary Lake from another class when she was a guest speaker and I Kobbi Blair was a
family friend. Trade journals were tricky for me until Michael MacClanathan showed me
EBSCO Host. EBSCO made it so that when I searched media violence it brought up specialized
journals and then it was up to me to read whether it was a trade journal or not.
Its hard for me to think that before I started this class I thought I was a decent writer.
When I got my first paper back my jaw hit the table because of how my paper looked after it was
graded. I had incomplete sentences, I used unnecessary words, I didnt use the right words and I
had AP style mistakes. The hardest mistake to take fix for me was AP style and incomplete

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sentences. When writing I would write as quick as possible without stopping to check if my
sentences made sense and if they were complete. My thought process was that if it made sense in
my head that it would translate that same way on the paper. When I would get my papers back
after being graded the most common mistake was always incomplete sentences. My advice to
any one reading this that has trouble with incomplete sentences, when writing your paper always
revise it and take your time when writing your paper, it may seem like it takes longer but that
alone will help catch mistakes. AP style, for me, is all about repetition. Seeing my mistakes made
me correct them over and over again until it was natural for me to write the correct way. Having
the book next to me when I write my papers really helped because it forced me to look up how to
write a certain way if I had a question.
I would like to thank my parents for putting up with my whining throughout the semester.
Hearing me complain about all the papers that were due wasnt fun and they challenged me
every week and pushed me every day to finish and look at the final goal, which is nearing soon.
They have supported me throughout my time here at Linfield College and I am thankful for their
support. I would also like to thank Michael MacClanathan and Shelby Vanderbergh. Michael has
been helping me throughout this whole semester giving me advice on every paper that I have
written. He has accompanied me to the library or renshaw multiple times helping me as well as
just giving me company. Shelby has also given me advice on my papers from her experience, she
also has helped me with revising my papers, especially when we are on long trips with the
softball team. I would also like to thank my classmates for helping me get through the class, if it
werent for my friends writing with me late at night and doing the same workload it would have
made this class a lot harder.

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Abstract
This paper discusses the various issues regarding violent television in todays society.
After public shootings and todays technology, violent television has taken the blame for causing
these violent actions. The paper shows that there are many arguments for and against violent
television. Because of this, there is no way of answering the question of whether violent
television affects children in a negative way. The paper addresses the amount of violent
television increasing in hours that it airs. The paper concludes that Congress should regulate
violent television shows on a strict schedule of airing for childrens precaution.

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Introduction
Television shows are becoming more about gore and blood, rather than jokes and family
shows. As season go on shows are trying to one-up each other so they can gain viewers. Shows
are increasing and the audience is decreasing. When networks have a decreasing audience it has
become necessary to have plot twists, to kill off favorite characters, to have violent scenes that
makes the viewer come back week after week and be intrigued in whats happening. With new
television series coming out every month more and more violent television shows are being
displayed to children.
Violence, gore and gunplay were staples on prime-time television even during the time
period following the Newtown school shooting. A study out of 392 prime-time programs
revealed that 193 had some incident of violence contained in them (Bauder, 2013). Children
between eight and 18 years of age spend an average of six hours and 21 minutes each day using
media entertainment. A large proportion of childrens media exposure includes acts of violence
that are witnessed in the form of video games. Media Violence says that by the age of 18, the
average person will have viewed 200,000 acts of violence on television alone (Media Violence,
2009). With new shows coming out like Vikings the level that children being exposed to
violent television has risen. During the past several seasons, networks have taken advantage of
their free rein to release a number of violent shows. The Walking Dead has set several ratings
records, including when they premiered their fourth season with 16.1 million viewers (Flock,
2013). As the years progress violent television shows have become more graphic to leave the
viewer wanting more. Instead of stabbing someone The Walking Dead has found new ways to
kill zombies along with graphics becoming increasingly better. The son in the show had to shoot
his own mother so that she wouldnt come back as a zombie. Shows will have to be more
descriptive and show more alarming scenes so they capture the audiences attention. One of the

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new shows that have come out is The Following. The Following contains violent scenes
every episode where the viewer will see someone being stabbed. The scenes are set around a
detective trying to bring down a serial killer that kills people for the fun of it. The violent
stabbing and the blood is new and something a viewer didnt see from television a couple years
ago. Producers dont want mindless violence, they want thoughtful murders so the audience has
to think or so the audience is surprised at what happened. Producers also talk about how they
want the show to linger past the point of the episode. (Poniewozik, 2013). Shows are gross, gory
and explicit, but they are not scary. A list of incidents captured by the PTC (Parents Television
Council) in a months time are a woman from The Following jams an ice pick into her eye, or
two characters from Bones wake to find a corpse hanging from the canopy above their bed,
dripping blood onto them. The list continues to explain different scenes of violence from
different television shows (Bauder, 2013). Trying to make someone watch the show scared when
they are in their own home rather than somewhere else reinforces their sense of safety. Also
watching the same show week after week reinforces their sense of familiarity. Watching all the
gore leaves you wanting more violent shows have stakes that are high and personal, the reader
doesnt see the plot twist coming, and they dont happen every week (Harris, 2014). Its more
common for children and adults to watch multiple hours of television, and with violent
television, the hours of viewers watching television is increasing. When it comes to boys and
girls when younger they are virtually the same for amount of hours watching the television.
When the children get older it is more common for boys to watch television more than girls on
average, also once children are watching television, it is more common for boys to watch
television longer. Three aspects that are noteworthy about the increase in violent media; the sheer
amount of television exposure that occurs across ages, the apparent spike in exposure between

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ages five-seven and eight-10 years and thirdly the steady increase in exposure until 11-13 years,
followed by a substantial decline (Roberts and Foehr, 2004). Congress should investigate the
hours violent television airs, and the effects violent television is having on its viewers.
This paper will first address both sides of the argument that support or contrast the idea
that violent television has a negative effect on children and adolescents. It will then focus on
violent television translating to real life. It will take about physical aggression and how children
imitate what they view. The paper will talk about the rating system of television and how
advertisements are viewed. The paper will conclude that, because violent television is increasing,
the best solution is to regulate violent television shows on a strict schedule of airing for
childrens precaution.
Background Information on Television Violence Increasing
Television violence has increased as the years go on, making viewers more susceptible to
viewing violence. Television violence has increased during prime time with scenes of violence
increasing by 45 percent during the hour of eight p.m. Not only are children exposed to violent
television shows, but research has shown that more than one third of commercials intended for
children contain aggressive elements (Kirsh, 2012). On any given day, 85 percent of young
people in the United States watch television. Television exposure averages over two hours daily
two to seven years old and over three hours daily among eight to 18 year-old (Roberts and Foehr,
2004). Shows have increases of violent media in Canada. Shows are more violent now than they
were in 1993. From 1993 to 2001, violent acts increased 37.8 percent and the acts per hour
showed a 35.5 percent increase (Paquette, 2004). A study says that over 3,000 programs, in a
three-assessment, found that 60 percent of programs across 26 channels contained physical
aggression. On a typical hour of programming, six different violent incidents will occur. Children
programs are more violent than all other program types. Another study showed that all G-rated
movies released between 1937 and 1999 featured some violence. A study done on E-rated video

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games released between 1985 and 2000 found that 64 percent contained physical violence
(Wilson, 2008). The issue of violence on television has been studied by the Parents Television
Council which found that most violent TV-14 rated shows on broadcast television have similar
levels and types of violence as mature rated cable television shows (Hanks, 2014). From 1998 to
2006 violence in television has increased in every time slot. Violence during the eight p.m.
family hour has increased 45 percent, violence during the nine p.m. hour increased by 92 percent
and violence during the 10 p.m. hour increased by 167 percent. ABC experienced the biggest
increase in violent content overall by an increase of 309 percent. Fox finished second with an
increase in violent content by an increase of only 12 percent (Schulenburg, 2006).
Effects of Children Watching Violent Television
Research has shown possible effects that link children imitating what they see on the
television. Children will mimic what they see and learn while growing up. People will take what
they learned as a child and maintain that through adulthood where violent crimes could appear. A
report was released saying that 10 percent of youth violence could be directly correlated with
media violence (Savage, 2004). Children are primed to think of the violent act right after they
have seen it. An example is seeing a picture of a cat then being asked to say random words. The
participant would mention words that would be related to a cat because they are primed from the
picture. The same idea goes with seeing a violent television show. The child is primed to
violence; therefore, in a short period the child will imitate the violent acts they have seen. A child
aged two and under should not watch television. The longer a child will go without watching
television the better off they are (Linder, 2014). Children view themselves as the good guy and
anyone who opposes their beliefs are bad guys. In television shows the good guys are
rewarded for violent actions. Excessive television watching can lead to nightmares and lack of
sleep even if what they are watching is a cartoon. In a study down in New Zealand, the

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researchers found children who watch television three plus hours per day are more prone to
increased risks in criminal convictions and anti-social behavior (Emmons, 2013). Television
shows depict violence as either glamorized or justified. Glamorized violence will be
presented in an attractive manner with a powerful personality. The character will not be punished
for his or her violent acts. The glorification of violence in a childrens show is a commonplace.
Justified violence is perceived as necessary for a character to use to solve a problem. Research
has shown that 27 percent of child-oriented shows and 37 percent of adult-oriented shows
involve justified violence. Children who view violence as justified are more likely to be involved
in violent acts (Kirsh, 2012). APA refers to Rowell Huesmann and Leonard Erons research that
found children in elementary school who watched media violence for numerous hours showed
higher levels of aggressive behavior when they became teenagers. The three effects of children
being exposed to violent television; may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of
others, children may be more fearful of the world around them and children may be more likely
to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others (Violence in the Media , 2013). If
children have a television in their bedroom, parents are less able to monitor what is seen; parents
are less able to have consistent rules for childrens media use; children participate in fewer
alternative activities such as reading, hobbies and games; and children perform more poorly in
school (Media Violence, 2009). Even if its not a video of violence, children will imitate what
they see in an image. If they see a violent image like a soldier shooting a machine gun, the child
will imitate the image with a toy gun (Blair, 2014). In the arcade, on one side there were more
than a dozen games that fall into the category of first person shooters. The two most popular
games seemed to be the most violent as well. Jurassic Park and Area 51 are two virtual first
person shooting games where the player controls the characters using realistic fire arms (Electric

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Castles Wunderland Cinema & Nickel Games, 2014). Another article says that media violence is
responsible for 10 percent of youth violence; media violence and youth violence are connected.
Children are unable to tell the difference between real life violence and television violence.
Thats why children imitate what they see; they have not developed enough awareness to connect
the dots that what they see on the television is not the same as real life violence (Majority Staff,
1999). Media violence will trigger aggressive thoughts or feelings already stored, the aggressive
behavior is already stored in the child. When the aggressive behavior is activated over and over
again that is when behaviors become consistent and therefore can influence behavior (Telegraph
Reporters, 2012). Media violence has a direct effect on people. Influencing someone short term,
and with continued exposure, someone can be affected long term. Short term effects of exposure
to media violence are due to priming processes, arousal processes and the immediate mimicking
of specific behaviors. Long term effects are due to more lasting observational learning of
cognitions, behaviors, activation and desensitization of emotional processes. The experiments
show that viewing violent television cause the risk for a child to be aggressive to rise. The risk
for violence will go up for children, teenagers, college students and even adults (Huesmann,
2007). In a study done in a small town called Notel that had just received television for the first
time, researchers investigated the impact of television on this community. The researchers
compared two similar communities that already had television. 45 first and second-grade
students were observed over a two year period. Rates of physical aggression did not change
significantly among children in the two groups. Two years later the rates of physical aggression
among children in Notel had increased. Another study was conducted that was over a 22 year
period. The study was whether boys television viewing at eight years predicted the seriousness
of criminal acts committed at age 30. It was found that the boys television violence viewing at

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age eight significantly predicted the seriousness of the crimes for which they were convicted by
the age of 30 (Centerwall, 1992).
Arguments in Defense for Television Violence
Opposing arguments say that violent television shows are not to blame for violent and
aggressive actions. Media violence is not the main cause of childhood or adult aggression. There
is always an external cause that adds to why the child or adult is aggressive. Studies have shown
that there is no justifiable evidence to put the blame on media violence. Studies have shown that
when a child expresses physical aggression television violence is a small factor, but is not the
main cause. One study showed children who committed a violent act either were being bullied by
classmates and wanted to retaliate or they grew up in a violent enviorment (Linder, 2014). APA
(American Psychological Association) has damaged the credibility of the psychological field.
Media violence does not play a role in large public shootings such as the Sandy Hook shooting.
Researchers have done a poor job in communicating research results with the public. Researchers
will take the results and then configure them to make sure the reader only sees what the
researcher wants them too. Some researchers do not want their hypothesis to be proven wrong. If
the hypothesis is proven wrong a researcher could either find a different study group or they will
not publish what they find (Ferguson, 2013). We should not take away television because it can
provide information and other beneficial experiences. People need to understand media violence
better because if we exaggerate the dangers of media violence, it will destroy our credibility
(Huesmann, 2007). Research is clearly lacking on a direct causal relationship between violent
video games and youth violence. Researchers also found that kids played games to cope with
their emotions, to enjoy challenging situations, to keep up with peers playing similar games, to
create their own worlds, and to relieve stress. Television violence is not the main cause for
aggression, when there is a case of aggression there is always another reason. If a child shows

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signs of aggression they could be stressed because of bullying or they could be growing up in a
violent neighborhood and they are exposed to violent acts because of where they live. Television
violence is single cause for a person to show signs of aggression, there is usually a second reason
as well (Schlozman and Beresin, 2012). When using the gaming systems at the arcade, children
could be relieving stress by killing dinosaurs instead of bottling their aggression. It is also a place
to interact and enjoy the atmosphere, instead of the child staying home playing by themselves. If
the child is close enough they can walk to the arcade and spend time playing video games and
controlling any aggression that they have. Arcades cheap in cost, that offers children a place to
have fun in a safe environment (Electric Castles Wunderland Cinema & Nickel Games, 2014).
Some television shows should not be taken seriously. People should be able to discern whether a
show is real or not. If the viewer sees the news and it contains cops tackling a criminal, they need
to be able to tell the difference between that and Spongebob hitting Patrick in the head. For
example, Jersey Shore has people with nicknames like The Situation, Snooki, J-Woww, Pauly
D and Sammi Sweatheart. The entire show is people who are drunk and make a fool of
themselves. The reader should be able to tell that the show is for humor and the violence in the
show is for entertainment (Stack, 2010). Parents need to take a bigger role in the lives of their
children. This day and age it is normal for both parents to be working, but that leaves the child
alone and a child alone will be able to watch whatever they want. Moms are not home as much
as they used to be, dads need to be able to assume more responsibility. If not that both parents
need to work out a schedule that allows one parent to be home when their child is home. Also, a
child turning to violent media is in part because we create an environment where children are
afraid to go to school, where they are harassed at school and where the child watches television
because the parents are never home. It is becoming more common for children to have a

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television in their room, which makes it hard for parents to observe what their children watch
when they are in separate rooms with no one looking out for them (Carvalho, 2002).
Physical Aggression
Exposed to media violence will lead to violent acts by the viewer in real life. More than
98 percent of pediatricians in one study expressed their personal belief that media violence
affects childrens aggression. Exposure to media violence can have a variety of physical and
mental health problems for children and adolescents, including aggressive and violent behavior,
bullying, desensitization to violence, fear, depression, nightmares and sleep disturbances (Media
Violence, 2009). One study exposed elementary school children to a Mighty Morphine Power
Rangers episode and then observed verbal and physical aggression in the classroom. The boys
who had watched the violent program committed significantly more intentional acts of
aggression such as hitting, kicking and shoving. Researchers collected measures of television
viewing and aggressive behavior when the children were in grade school and then again fifteen
years later when they are adults. The measure of adult aggression included self-reports of spousal
abuse, punching and choking another person and shoving others, as well as criminal behavior
(Wilson, 2008). People will take what they learned as children and maintain that through
adulthood where violent crimes could appear. If a show is exciting to someone, it can be
physically stimulating, therefore making them more prone to seeing violence as a reward instead
of a negative. People are becoming numb to violence to a point that when they see a fight on the
television they are cheering for someone to knock out the other person. It has become more of a
game to become violent (Savage, 2004). An experiment was assigned to one group of five to six
year-old Finnish children to watch violent movies, and the other to watch nonviolent movies.
Researchers then observed the two groups in a room playing together. The children who were
exposed to the violent movies were rated much higher on physical assault and other types of

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aggression. Another example, researchers studied the links between aggressive behavioral
delinquency, such as fighting and hitting, at Wisconsin and Maryland high school and junior high
school students. The study found significant links between television violence exposure and
aggression for both boys and girls (Escobar-Chaves and Anderson, 2008).
Rating Systems and Advertisements
Congress should investigate the rating systems effectiveness in informing parents about
television shows. The rating system for television shows is a mess. Companies that owned the
rights to television shows volunteered to put in a rating system. The board that rates each
television show is not informed and has no experience in psychology. They volunteered to put a
rating system in so they could avoid conflict with viewers. Congress needs to hire a psychologist
that will be on the board that rates shows so that each show has a professional opinion when it
comes to media violence and what is being displayed (Linder, 2014). Reporters and anchors will
have a script that will say this content may not be suitable for minors or the reporter might just
say this is hard to watch. But when it comes to an actual rating system for the news, that will
most likely not happen. If there is a recent event that happened about a crash involving multiple
cars on the highway, its the reporters job to report the news no matter if the content might be
disturbing for children. KATU may use discretion by only showing the scene of the cars instead
of possible bloodied victims (Lake, 2014). When viewing advertisements you are going to be
exposed even if it is during commercial. Some companies may choose not to advertise something
because of the content that it contains, but there will always be someone that will be willing to
advertise something so they can make money. Advertisements can contain whatever they want,
its up to the company or buyer whether they want to buy that advertisement (Blair, 2014).
Studies have revealed that children can and do easily access violent media that are deemed

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inappropriate for them by the various rating systems. Studies have shown that the rating systems
do not predict the frequency of violence in the various films (Media Violence, 2009).
Conclusion
Congress should investigate the hours violent television airs, and the effects violent
television is having on its viewers. Children are coming home from school and when they turn
on the television media violence is displayed on the television whether its a show or a
commercial. It is argued that television violence is responsible for encouraging violent and
aggressive actions. Violent television is also being blamed for public shootings, people say that
once a child watches a violent act on television they want to copy what they see. Children watch
people shooting guns, even on cartoons they see characters shooting each other, but they survive.
It is also argued that violent television can have an effect on children. However, it is argued that
there is not enough conclusive evidence to link television violence to be the main cause of
children aggression or violent acts by anyone. It is more beneficial to focus on improving the
amount of television violence that airs on television. Using a strict time allotment for television
violence and a hybrid system provided to parents for the protection of children.

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References
Bauder, D. (2013, May 1). TV violence increasing, growing darker post-newtown, study finds.
The Washington Times. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/lrrqpem
Blair, K. (2014, April 11). Interview by Jacob Hanke. From notes.
Carvalho, J.(2002). Media violence isnt the problem after all. Tech News. Retreived from
http://tinyurl.com/35slwvg
Centerwall, B. (1992). Television and violence: The scale of the problem and where to go from
here. Special Communication. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/am98mso
Electric Castles Wunderland Cinema & Nickel Games. (2014, April 13). Observation of game
play by Jacob Hanke. Observation Notes.
Emmons, S. (2013, February 21). Is media violence damaging to kids? CNN Living. Retrieved
from http://tinyurl.com/ks8b9go
Escobar-Chaves, S. & Anderson, C. (2008). Journal issue: Children and electronic media. The
Future of Children.18(1). Retrieved by http://tinyurl.com/ovz3s9h
Ferguson, C. (2013, October 2). No consensus among scholars on media violence. Huffington
Post Science. Retrieved by http://tinyurl.com/p23ahq9
Flock, E. (2013, October 18). Study: Violence increasing in tv dramas especially on nbc. U.S.
News. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/pzf3cuf
Hanks, H.(2014, January 22). Is TV more violent than ever? CNN. Retrieved from
http://tinyurl.com/knk9d67
Harris, M. (2014). Less is more when it comes to gore. Academic Search Premier. Retrieved
from http://tinyurl.com/ky22gn2
Huesmann, L. R. (2007) The impact of electronic media violence: Scientific theory and research.
Bethesda, MD: U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.
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Kirsh, S. J. (2012) Children, adolescents, and media violence: A critical look at the research. Los
Angeles, CA: SAGE Publication, Inc.

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Lake, H. (2014, April 14). Interview by Jacob Hanke. Interview Notes.

Linder, J. (March 13, 2014). Interview by Jacob Hanke. Interview notes.
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Paquette, G. (2004). Violence on Canadian television networks. Bethesda, MD: U.S. National
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Poniewozik, J. (2013, March 11). Serial killing. Academic Search Premier. Retrieved by
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Roberts, D., & Foehr, U. (2004). Kids & media in America. N.Y. Cambridge University Press.
Savage, J. (2004). Does viewing violent media really cause criminal violence? A methodological
review. Agression and Violent Behavior.10 (1), 99-128. Retrieved by
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Schlozman, S. & Beresin, G. (2012, December 26). Research shows violent media do not cause
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Schulenburg, C. (2006). Dying to Entertain. Parents Television Council. Retrieved by
http://tinyurl.com/m2udy7n
Stack, Tim. (2010). In defense of mtvs jersey shore. Entertainment Weekly. (1085), 16-16.
Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/n3q6uhp

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Violence in the media Psychologists study tv and video game violence for potential harmful
effects. (2013). American Psychological Association. Retrieved from
http://tinyurl.com/cqzd8h8
Wilson, B. (2008). Media and childrens aggression, fear, and altruism. The Future of Children
Princeton Brookings. 18(1). Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/lxmyfje