Nature of the Public's Objections to Violent Television Programs: Examining Third-Person Media Effects

• NCJ Number: 151050
• Author(s): G E Lometti
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 33 pages
• Corporate Author: University of South Carolina
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Paper presented at the International Conference on Violence in the Media, New York, NY, October 3 and 4, 1994

Annotation

Public attitudes toward violence on television were examined using information from a national probability telephone survey of 1,000 adults age 18 or older.

Abstract

The participants were asked if they watched, read about, or discussed any of a representative list of 48 television programs from eight genres. They also reported the frequency with which they viewed each program, any aspects that were personally unacceptable, and any other programs that were objectionable. Results indicated that most people in the United States do not think that violence on television is unacceptable. Fourteen percent do think that television violence is unacceptable. However, no program or move was regarded by more than 3 percent of the sample to contain offensive violence. Most objectors to violence mentioned excessive or senseless violence as a problem. The objectors did not differ much from most Americans on demographic and television-viewing variables. Third-person concerns dominated other reasons the participants reported for wanting to restrict television content. Findings supported the view that censorship is related to perceptions that others are likely to be affected by offensive television content. 34 references (Author abstract modified)