Media Violence Laws and Their Effectiveness

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Table of Contents

Introduction
History of media violence legislation and current practices
The controversy and challenges raised by opposing parties
Effectiveness of media violence laws
Conclusion
References

Thesis statement: With the increasing levels of criminally assaulting behavior in the USA and other countries caused by media violence, it is assumed that the relevant laws have a significant potential for reducing the scale of violent conduct among minors and adults

Introduction

What is media violence and why is it a critical issue?

For the last decades, the problem of media violence has become one of the most urgent ones since movies, computer games, the Internet, and other sources have brought virtual harassment to the next level. That is to say, violent entertainment is becoming more realistic.

The technological advancement has led to the fact that interactive violence can be faced almost every time a person turns to any modern electronic device.

According to Stanhope and Lancaster (2014), parents, teachers, and psychologists are concerned that violence is not only widely displayed by media but also becomes accepted as normal since it is so frequently met and realistic (computer games are particularly addictive, which implies that observing negative or abusive content gradually becomes a part of daily routine).

The reaction of the government to the increasing levels of violence caused by media

To gain control of the negative tendency and influence the situation, the government has initiated Media Violence laws (Grossman & Degaetano, 2014).

Despite the existing practices, which proved to be ineffective, the state has attempted to promote such initiatives that would be more rigid.

History of media violence legislation and current practices

Motion Picture Production Code (Hays Code) of 1934

The Code covered the limitations and restrictions in terms of violent scenes and manslaughter. It was abolished in 1968.

The Computer Decency Act and Telecommunications Act of 1996

Telecommunications Act was enacted to regulate the flow of materials transmitted by TV and the Internet.

Communications Decency Act was aimed at controlling the materials that could potentially transmit indecent content; however, it was abolished due to a number of challenges faced (Grossman & Degaetano, 2014).

Successful censorship in other countries

The experience of China.

The experience of European countries.

The controversy and challenges raised by opposing parties

Adults, psychologists, and concerned people stress the negative consequences of media violence on the psyche of underage children and emphasize the increase in offense levels caused by the wide coverage of various violent acts by the media (Gentile, 2014).

Some researchers claim that violence displayed by video games and TV has no or minimal detrimental effect on an individual’s psychological status (Ferguson, 2015).

Journalists and investigators connect school shootings with the influence of media violence since many perpetrators involved in violent acts against schoolchildren were addicted to video games that were rich in crime and abuse scenes (Gentile, 2014).

Effectiveness of media violence laws

Evidence on the revised Code on violence in broadcasting (Canada).

Evidence on the British Board of Film Classification’s (BBFC) film rating system under the Video Recordings Act of 1984 (the UK).

Evidence on the Pan European Game Information System (PEGI) (Europe).

Analysis of the evidence.

Conclusion

Media violence does increase the levels of aggression in underage children, which might lead to committing violence against their peers (Ferguson, 2015).

As stated by Ferguson (2015) media violence does not have a significant influence on people older than 18; however, it can affect their general well-being and psychological status.

Current legislation in the USA in terms of media violence is not effective enough to reduce potential harassment.

The experience of other countries is important within the context of media violence and can be used to initiate projects or initiatives in America.

Note:

I need to find more evidence from the sources on the effectiveness of legislation in different countries.

References

Ferguson, C. (2015). Does media violence predict societal violence? It depends on what you look at and when. Journal of Communication, 65(1), E1-E22.

Gentile, D. (2014). Media violence and children (2nd ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

Grossman, D., & Degaetano, G. (2014). Stop teaching our kids to kill. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.

Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2014). Public health nursing. London, UK: Elsevier.

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