British Children and Televised Violence

In: Public opinion quarterly: journal of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Band 38, Heft 4, S. 531-547

Abstract

A study of British school children was undertaken to determine whether the f of watching TV programs with recurrent violent themes was positively related to aggressive attitudes. It was a "virtual replication" of a US study by J. R. Dominick & B. S. Greenberg ("Attitudes Toward Violence: The Interaction of Television, Family Attitudes, and Social Class," in TELEVISION AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, VOL 3: TELEVISION AND ADOLESCENT AGGRESSIVENESS, G. A. Comstock & E. A. Rubinstein, Ed's, Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1971). In 1972, 726 London school children aged 9, 12, & 15 were selected, to obtain a sample representative in terms of SC, sex, & race. S's interviewed by means of a self-administered questionnaire which was designed to measure aggressive attitudes ("perceived effectiveness of using violence to solve problems" & "personal willingness to use violence to solve problems") & exposure to violent & nonviolent programs. Findings were very similar to US data, in terms of both direction & magnitude of the relationship: the relationship between "watching programs high in violent themes & aggressive attitudes" exists, but it is a moderate one. In addition, the relationship persists when the influence of exposure to other types of programs is removed & when children are differentiated by SC, age, & race. However, the relationships do not persist for western, as opposed to other types of violent programs. A portion of the discussion deals with certain other covariates whose relationships suggest possibilities for future research. 8 Tables. Modified HA.