NCJ Number
160258
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Media literacy education must be a component of any effective effort at violence prevention, for both individuals and society as a whole.
Abstract
Media literacy, as defined in a 1992 report from the Aspen Institute, is the movement "to expand notions of literacy to include the powerful post-print media that dominate our informational landscape." In classrooms as well as informal groups such as Scout troops or parenting classes, people of all ages learn to apply a variety of critical thinking skills to the thousands of images, words, and sounds that are a daily part of our worlds. There are five ways that effective media literacy education can contribute to lessening the impact of violence. First, it reduces exposure by educating parents and caregivers; parent organizations, churches, libraries, and community groups can sponsor media literacy programs to help parents develop and enforce age-appropriate viewing limits. Second, media-literacy education can change the impact of violent images that are seen; children must learn at a young age the difference between reality and fantasy and to know how costumes, camera angles, and special effects can fool them. Third, media literacy education can explore alternatives to stories that focus on violence as the solution to interpersonal conflict. Families and community organizations must provide books and videos to children that portray positive role models to help counterbalance the actions and attitudes of the violent role models of TV and movies. Fourth, media literacy education can uncover and challenge the cultural, economic, and political supports for media violence as well as the personal ways we may each be contributing to it; and fifth, media literacy promotes informed and rational public debate in schools, community and civic gatherings, religious groups, and in the media.