Every so often tabloids’ first pages are plastered with a gruesome story of how a child’s favorite TV show led to them committing a violent act. The latest one I was told of involved a little boy imitating a character on his favorite TV show. That show was Power Rangers. Power Rangers is a children’s show that is now often described as having scenes with violence involving hand to hand combat and weapons. Sadly en

Scientifically, researchers have been looking for a specific type of violence caused by violent television. They usually define violence as physical behavior with intent to harm others. Using this example of violence, the boy imitating a Power Ranger cannot be used as an example of how television provokes intent to harm, for the boy clearly did not mean to harm his sister. However, television perhaps was responsible for altering his views of reality. Many researchers claim that there is a direct correlation effect with the amount of violence seen on TV and the amount of violent behavior one commits. However, an unrealistic approach and inconsistency of the studies often flaw the research in this area.

Although science doesn’t seem to be taking any official stance in the argument, it is quite clear that television violence must have an effect on some people or else there wouldn’t be cases such as teenagers imitating a scene from Born Innocent. In an publication titled Television Violence and Violent Behavior, which was published in a journal Social Forces the authors suggests a theory about the effect television has on violent behavior. The authors suggest that,

There are a number of variables that can cause someone to be more likely to be affected by the violence on TV. Firstly, if someone they love, or respect presents the violent program to them, it is likely to enhance the fact that the program is supported. This may lead to more attention being paid to the messages being conveyed. Secondly, the film must be stored in our memory. This means that frequent watching of the scene may have to occur. Once the memory is stored then the subject needs to be provoked and reminded of the film. A reminder of the film might be anything from a similar setting of the movie, to similar kinds of people. Lastly, one always has the power to control these violent outbursts. We are not the violent beings seen on 28 Days Later that do not have control over their actions. In fact, in many studies, the people who were reported to be non-aggressive before exposure to violent shows in fact remained non-aggressive. Therefore, perhaps we are already beings capable of violence in the first place, but we can simply choose how we behave. Television just gives us an extra indirect provocation, and plays into the violence that is already inside of us.

I find the suggestion that TV indirectly impacts our violent behavior more plausible. This is more plausible for television has the power, just like almost anything found in our society,

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