Violence On Screen

"Mamma, when 'Power Rangers' comes on at the center we have to turn it off." This was the comment of my college daughter who works at a children's enrichment center summers and holidays. The children become so rambunctious when this show airs that, to manage their behavior, they must not allow the show to run. How does the violence in this children's action show translate into aggressive behavior in its viewers?

In recent years, when we have received the shocking news of our children killing children, the incidence of violence in the media and violent video games has come under attack. More often than not these children have been enacting some violence they have seen portrayed on the movie screen or they have been heavily involved in playing violent video games. Again we ask, "How does this happen?"

To begin examining this connection, it might be helpful to find a way to categorize the different degrees of influence on decision-making. A continuum can be helpful in determining this influence.

On either end of the continuum, we can place the immovables. On one end of the continuum would be the children who are going to choose violence whether they are influenced by media and games or not. These children are considered immovable. Then on the other end of the continuum is another set of immovables. These are the children who would never commit any act of violence based upon the influence of the media or video games. But then in the middle of the continuum are the children who are considered to be the movables. These are children who might be influenced by the violence in the media or violent video games. This answers the anecdotal comment, "Well my son played those games every day from the time he was nine until he was fifteen and he never considered violence."

That may very well be, but he would have been placed on the end of the continuum with the immovables who would not be influenced by video games.

Because of the extreme violence we have seen our children commit, many have looked at research to see if there is a connection between the violence in media and games and the violence committed by these children. Some research has been around for a very long time and other research is emerging. Researchers have known for several years that there was a connection between the violence viewed on television by a husband and the number of aggressive acts he committed toward his wife.

In one particular study husbands who viewed a violent program were significantly more aggressive toward theif wives than the control group who did not view this violent programming. Certainly, such viewing would likely have a similar effect on children.

One explanation of this connection is a process called systematic desensitization. This approach is used to help individuals overcome phobias and irrational fears. They are exposed systematically to the distressing stimulus. As they become comfortable with a mild level of exposure, then a higher level of exposure is provided, until they lose their overactive response. As children view these disturbing scenes over and over, they lose the natural response of aversion. They no longer have that effect on them. They have moved a little bit closer to repeating the behaviors.

Mental rehearsal is another process which can help explain the connection, particularly between violent video games and aggressive behavior. Mental rehearsal is usually done through imagery, in which the subject takes himself through a behavior in his mind that he wants to develop. Athletes and performing artists are using mental rehearsal to prepare for events that cannot be easily simulated for in practice. How much more effective might be the practice in the mind when a child is sitting and acting his way through a video game. Studies have shown a child's heart rate and blood pressure increase while playing a series of video games.

Though there are many other factors which contribute to these "high risk kids without a conscience," we cannot deny the influence of the violence we experience through the video games and media. When we observe children spending large amounts of time with any form of violence, we have to wonder if some of these processes are not at work.