National Television Violence Study

The National Television Violence Study is the most thorough and comprehensive study of violence on television to date. The Study responds to enormous public concern about the harmful effects of television on society. In 1993, Senator Paul Simon of Illinois issues a challenge to the television industry to voluntarily pursue an independent assessment of violence on television. In 1994, the cable television industry accepted Simon's challenge by commissioning a prestigious group of media effects researchers from four major universities to conduct a three-year study of TV violence. The project includes an oversight council of representatives from 18 leading public health, legal, medical, research, and entertainment industry policy organizations. Based on the largest and most representative sample of television content ever evaluated by a single scientific study, National Television Violence Study, Volume 2 offers a commentary on the state of violence on American television for viewers, policymakers, the media industry, and media scholars. It analyzes the content of television programming with a special focus on the nature and context of violent portrayals and their likely effect on audiences. It considers such factors as whether the violence is rewarded or punished; whether the portrayal includes the consequences of violence; the realism, extent, and graphicness of the violence; use of weapons; and the involvement of humor. The study includes: + A content analysis of violence in television drama and comedy series, movies, children's shows, and music videos + Research on violence in reality programs, including "talk about violence" in nonfiction shows such as tabloid news, police shows, documentaries, and talk shows + Studies of how program ratings and advisories are used on television and the role they play in the viewing decisions of children + Profiles of potential target audiences for future antiviolence campaigns and a content analysis of current anti-violence public service announcements This second year annual report presents comparative year-to-year data on the nature and extent of violence on television across program genres and channel types. It contributes new data on the effectiveness of various kinds of violence ratings and advisories for children and young adolescent audiences. It also presents a fresh analysis of a national survey of adolescents that sheds light on the most appropriate audiences for anti-violence public service announcements. Finally, it provides novel analyses of "high risk" presentations of violence most likely to adversely affect younger audiences. This groundbreaking report will be of great value to students and researchers in media studies, popular culture, sociology, communication, and violence prevention.