NCJ Number
142179
Journal
Public Interest Volume: 111 Dated: (Spring 1993) Pages: 56-71
Date Published
1993
Length
16 pages
Annotation
To determine the effect of exposure to television violence upon an entire population, the historical accident of the absence of television in South Africa prior to 1975 was examined.
Abstract
Homicide rates in South Africa, Canada, and the United States were compared to determine whether exposure to television is a cause of violence. Over the 1945 to 1974 period, the white homicide rate increased to 93 percent in the United States, and in Canada the homicide rate increased 92 percent. The white homicide rate declined by 7 percent in South Africa where television was banned. None of the alternative explanations examined emerged as satisfactory, namely, economic growth and civil unrest. In 1969, the findings of the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence established what is now a broad scientific consensus: exposure to television increases rates of physical aggression. Television networks finally announced a list of voluntary guidelines on television violence in December 1992. Recommendations provide some guidelines for addressing the challenge of television violence. 4 figures and 10 references