Children, adolescents, and media violence : a critical look at the research / Steven J. Kirsh.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kirsh, Steven J.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mass media and children.

Mass media and teenagers.

Children and violence.

Youth and violence.

Violence in mass media.

Aggressiveness in children.

Aggressiveness in adolescence.

Physical Description:

xix, 409 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Sage Publications, [2006]

Summary:

Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence: A Critical Look at the Research offers the most complete overview available of the effects of media violence on children and adolescents from a developmental perspective. Written in an engaging style, this text examines theories and research through a developmental lens to make the effects of media violence on youth more apparent as a function of age. This unique approach allows for identification of age-related gaps in the literature and helps students to become critical consumers of research literature.

Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying media effects on children and adolescents in the fields of psychology and communication. It is an excellent textbook for courses such as Children & Media, Mass Media Effects, Uses & Effects of Media, Television & Violence, and Media, Violence & Youth.

Contents:

Part I Understanding Aggression 1

1 There and Back Again: A Media Vilence Tale 3

A Look Through the Violent Sands of Time 4

Evaluating the Evidence of Evil Influences 8

Aggressive Behavior and Aggression-Related Constructs 9

Answering Questions So New Questions Can Be Raised 13

Preview of Coming Attractions 18

2 Exposing the Beast Within: Aggressive Behavior Across Development 21

Normative Development and Individual Variation 21

The Developmental Pathway From Anger to Conflict to Aggression 23

Correlation 31

Individual Variation in Aggressive Behavior 33

Individual Patterns of Aggression as a Function of Violent Entertainment 36

Sex Differences in Aggressive Behavior Across Development 37

Aggressive Behavior in the Context of Development 38

Excessive Aggression in Youth 40

Aggression and Developmental Psychopathology 41

3 Understanding the Beast Within: Theories of Aggressive Behavior 47

Understanding Theories 47

Theories of Aggression 48

Theories of Aggression and Developmental Considerations 65

4 Dining on Death and Destruction: The How Much and Why of Violent Media Consumption 71

Media Violence Consumption Across Development 72

Patterns of Media Consumption 75

Reasons for Consuming Violent Entertainment 79

The Importance of Understanding Why Youth Consume Violent Media 89

Violent Media Consumption as a Function of Development 90

Part II Effects of Specific Forms of Violent Media on Youth 93

5 Violent Media and the Need to Feel Strong and Powerful 95

Historical Proponents of Media Violence 96

The So-Called Modern-Day Benefits of Media Violence 97

Anecdotal Evidence: Is It Scientific? 98

Evaluating the Empirical Evidence Presented by Jones 100

A Final Dagger Into the Heart of Sexy Vampire Slayers 111

6 Watching the Playful Beast: Sports Violence and Aggression 115

Aggression in Modern Sport 116

There was No "Second Spitter" Hidden on a Grassy Knoll for Roberto Alomar 117

Modeling Aggression and Its Consequences 118

Watching Aggression in Sport and Sports Entertainment: Effects on Agressive Behavior 124

Laying the Smack Down on Sports Entertainment 126

Factors That Influence Imitative Behavior in Youth 130

Effects of Watching Aggressive Behavior on Youth Aggression During Sport 132

7 Violence-Laden Imagination: Comic Books, Fiction, and Toys 139

Comic Book Violence 140

Violence in Literature and Youthful Fear and Aggression 150

War Toys and Aggression 153

8 Animating the Beast: Cartoon Violence 159

Cartoons: A Brief Historical Overview 160

Violence in Cartoons 160

Cartoons and Aggressive Behavior: The Evidence 168

The Research 172

9 Listening to the Beast: Violence in Music and Music Videos 179

Historical Overview 179

The Focus of Modern-Day Research on Music Violence 180

The Popularity of Music 181

The Lyrical Content of Heavy Metal and Rap 183

On Hearing Things That Cannot Be Heard 187

Rockin' and a Rollin' and a Fightin' 189

Sex, Violence, and Video Tape 194

10 Watching the Beast: Live-Action Television and Movie Violence 201

Violence on Television 201

Differences Between Movies and Television 202

The Context of Aggression and Television Violence 203

The Effects of Television Violence on Aggressive Behavior 206

The Effect of Television Violence on Aggression-Related Constructs 215

Desensitization 219

11 Playing With the Beast: Violent Video Games 227

The Popularity of Violent Video Games 228

Teaching Kids to Kill 228

Video Game Eras and Video Game Violence 229

Types of Violent Video Games 230

The Effects of Violent Video Games on Youth as a Function of Video Game Era and Game Type 233

Part III Media Violence and the Concept of Risk 247

12 Aggressive Behavior: Risk and Protective Factors 249

Beans and Aggression 250

Child Characteristics That Are Risk Factors for Aggression 251

Environmental Risk Factors 258

Protective Factors From Aggression 265

On the Importance of Risk and Protective Factors in Media Violence Research 267

13 The Threat of Media Violence: Assessing Its Magnitude and Reducing Its Effects 271

Sizing It All Up 272

Meta-Analysis 272

Video Games: The Baddest of the Bad? 275

Placing the Effect Sizes for Violent Media in the Context of Other Risk Factors for Aggression 278

Media Violence Exposure and Moderators 281

Reducing the Effects of Media Violence Consumption Through Mediation 289

14 Policy, Violent Entertainment, and Youth 297

Legislating Media Violence: Is There Really a Need? 298

A Brief Look at Policy Making 299

Violent Entertainment and Current Policy 300

Media Violence Policy: A Look to the Future 318

Part IV Nonviolent Media and Youth 323

15 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Effects of Nonviolent Media on Children and Adolescents 325

Defining the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 326

The Good 326

The Bad 335

The Ugly 341.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-379) and indexes.

ISBN:

0761929754

0761929762

OCLC:

61169644

Online:

Publisher description