Direct Quotation: Barr and Parrett (2008) state, “The experts agree: today’s media has led to increased desensitization to violence and an increase in aggressive and antisocial behavior. By the time many children arrive at school, they have already seen 8000 murders and 100,000 violent acts, on television. They have spent more time watching television than they will spend in school for the next twelve years.”
Paraphrase of the above quotation: The media desensitizes violence and increases aggressive and antisocial behavior, despite this, most youths are constantly exposed to violence and gore in the virtual world which is where they spend most of their time (Barr and Parrett, 2008).
Direct Quotation: Ruschmann (2010) states, “Violent entertainment sends a message that violence is normal and acceptable behavior. Some experts warn that a society that allows itself to become saturated with violence indirectly contributes to violence among some of its citizens.”
Paraphrase of the above quotation: As society becomes saturated with violence through violent entertainment, citizens (youth) become encouraged to take part in violence as acceptable behavior (Ruschmann, 2010).
Youth violence today is very rampant but has over the recent years evolved from simple playground scuffles and flagpole showdowns to gang violence and more deadly on-campus shootings and even suicide. Widespread research has been carried out to gain insight on the warning signs of such violence and therefore, address the problem. This has contributed to a large pool of data on the causes of youth violence in schools. There are many causes of violence in schools including peer harassment and the home life of the youth. However, media has been identified as having a significant influence on the rupture of violent behavior in schools today. The youth today spend most of their time in the virtual world deriving entertainment from different forms of media such as television, the internet, radios, and other technologies such as cell phones. It is reported that by the time the average child joins the school, they will have spent more time in front of a television than they would have spent in school over the next twelve years. In this respect, the youth will have viewed more than 100,000 violent acts on television, and out of these almost 8,000 are murdered. It has also been shown that as much as 90% of popular video games have a violent theme.
The constant exposure to violence leads to the desensitization of the youth to violence and aggression. In the process, antisocial behavior is encouraged. The youth view violence as normal and acceptable behavior as a result of the media glamorizing it. As a result, they find it easier to carry out these violent acts. They also become more tolerant of violence and violent behavior and become less sympathetic towards victims of violence. The youth who have no other proper direction and influence in their lives will emulate what they see and hear in the media. The formation of gangs and carrying of weapons to schools are just but a few examples of how violence in schools has mutated into more sophisticated and sinister forms. These are all commonly depicted in the various forms of media on a day-to-day basis. The youth being exposed to this day in day out become saturated with violence. This influence contributes to an individual’s beliefs, values, and moral judgments eventually contributing towards their behavior. Because students are continuously exposed to glamorized violence by the media, they are more likely to engage in various types of violence in schools.
References
Barr, R. D. & Parrett, W. (2008). Saving our students, saving our schools: 50 proven strategies for helping underachieving students and improving schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Ruschmann, P. (2010). Regulating Violence in Entertainment. A. Marzilli, (Ed.). New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishers.