NCJ Number
59914
Journal
Criminologie Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (1979) Pages: 81-88
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE REPORTS OF AMERICAN, FRENCH, AND CANADIAN COMMISSIONS OF INQUIRY ON DELINQUENCY, VIOLENCE, AND TELEVISION ARE REVIEWED.
Abstract
THE 1969 AMERICAN EISENHOWER REPORT ON VIOLENCE, A TRADITIONAL OPINION POLL OF 1,176 ADULTS AND 496 ADOLESCENTS, FINDS THAT VIOLENCE IS NEVER UNCONDITIONALLY APPROVED BUT IS ACCEPTED IN LIMITED FORM FOR DISCIPLINING CHILDREN, SELF-DEFENSE, AND THE PROTECTION OF PROPERTY, OR WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS FOR ANY KIND OF POLICE WORK. IT ALSO INDICATES THAT NORMS ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE WITH VIOLENCE AND THAT TELEVISION VIOLENCE DOES NOT SEEM TO AFFECT THE NORMS OF VIEWERS. THE 1977 FRENCH PEYREFITTE REPORT ON VIOLENCE, WITH A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF 1,500 PERSONS, CONCLUDES THAT MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF THE FRENCH POPULATION CONSIDERS THE PRESENT AN AGE OF VIOLENCE WITH BURGEONING CRIME RATES. THE 1977 CANADIAN LAMARSH REPORT, BASED ON DATA FROM FIVE PSYCHOLOGICALLY ORIENTED STUDIES ON SPECIFIED, NONREPRESENTATIVE SAMPLES, ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH A PSYCHOLOGICAL TYPOLOGY OF AGGRESSIVENESS AND TO MEASURE EFFECTS OF PARTICULAR TELEVISION PROGRAMS WITHOUT A GREAT DEAL OF SUCCESS. WHILE INTERESTING TO THE SPECIALIZED RESEARCHER, SUCH COMMISSIONS DO NOT PRODUCE RESULTS WHICH WARRANT THEIR HIGH COSTS; COMMISSIONS ARE REPETITIVE AND RETROSPECTIVE, FUNCTIONING ONLY ON A POLITICAL LEVEL TO GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF CHANGE. BUT SURVEYS DO BECOME AN INSTRUMENT OF 'GOOD GOVERNMENT' FOR ASCERTAINING PUBLIC OPINION ON VITAL ISSUES AND FOR DETECTING 'ZONES OF PUBLIC IGNORANCE' IN NEED OF CORRECTION. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)