Blog 15- Rough draft research

Jasmine Heyward
Media and Society HUC 27
Professor Lucca
April 29th 2010

1996: two students, a teacher killed by a 14 year old boy in Moses Lake Wash, 1998: four students and one teacher killed along with 10 wounded at a Middle school in Arkansas by an 11 and 13 year old, 2000: A six year old girl shot by a six year old boy at Buell Elementary, 2005: a 16 year old killed his grandfather, a security guard, teacher and five students followed by himself in Red Lake Minn., and the list goes on (“Timeline of World School Shootings”). Violent acts in kids as young as six years old have been taking place in different parts of the world. I feel as if television has a partial contribution to the spike in violence in the United States. But I absolutely disagree with that being the sole reason for the violence in children. Violent acts in general have taken place as far back as the Bible. The jealousy of “favoritism” from God caused Cain; a farmer, to kill his brother Able; a Shepherd, because Able’s sacrifice was liked more (by God) than Cain’s sacrifice. Violence occur all the time, only do the major situations get paid attention to. I think that there are numerous factors in life that influence violence, television just promotes it, making it prevalent to children. The epidemic in which violence grows is based on the lack of parenting and control they have over their children.
Violence is the act of causing pain to another person as well as to one’s self, and it doesn’t have to always be physical. It can be verbal and emotional. Violence also can come in different forms too, ranging anywhere from isolation of groups, to assaults, and the major one bullying. The question still remains: is television; not only violent TV, the source of all violence in children? I think not. Violence can start out in people very young and if it is failed to be addressed, can transform into something rather fatal and in turn led to escalading violent acts, such as these events in 1996-2005. I have never known a cartoon or any “family show” for that matter that gives ideas to kill your mother or teachers classmates or yourself, at school, and if you can think of a show, by all means enlighten me. On April 1st 2010 in Waycross, Georgia a group of 3rd graders brought weapons to school in hopes of stabbing a teacher who penalized a child prior to this incident. These eight and nine year old brought, duct tape, steel handcuffs, and even a steak knife, to school. The major thing is my mind is where are these children’s parents? These are not teenagers who are in a point in their life where they rebel and don’t tell their parents anything; but these are young children bringing these types of weapons to school. Shouldn’t these types of things be put up from children as well as being explained as off limit items? It is the parent’s job to step in and regulate certain situations; this being one of them. These were not homemade weapons but things you find around the house. I’m not even sure I knew what duct tape was at the age of eight or nine years old.
In an article on kidshealth.org titled “How TV affects your Child” made a good point that “violent” shows on television watched by little kids doesn’t make them violent but in actuality it makes them fear the world. This is true because as a young child they are not able to distinguish real acts from fake acts. So when a child, the age of eight or nine comes to school with weapons I can only wonder if the parent instilled certain morals, rules and discipline in these children. The article also pointed out the fact that TV is not permanently display in the brains of people nor permanently projected on the walls of people’s homes. Parents have a choice. They are different ways to keep kids out of TV’s and into other things a lot more productive. Whether or not TV promotes violence, it ultimately revert backs to the parent. In Cleveland, Ohio a 14 year old shot two students and two teachers before killing his-self. What television shows really influences this type of behavior in children? As I said before there for different forms of violence but we are not talking about name calling or bullying people during recess. We are talking about full blown, straight to the point shootings, in various states and even countries; including, but not limited to Germany and Argentina.
A television show can present to a child how to hold or maybe even fire a gun but a television definitely cannot put a gun in the palm of their hands. In an article by Brenda Coleman entitled “Studies on the Influence of Media Violence on Children” presents a problem with the research stating that TV influences children. The flaw is basically saying that people are using television as a scapegoat rather than focusing on the task at hand. 10 years after television was introduced to North America as well as South Africa is when crime rates spiked. There are other countries that have very violent shows and their crime rates are tremendously lower. A country replicating that would be Japan. Violence was around way before television was. So no, I do not believe TV influences violence. What would be the scapegoat in situations where acts of violence. Then who would be to blame?
Think about all the mediums out there for Children and teens to absorb data. There is Television, Internet, and music. Ding ding ding!!!!! We have a winner. Music is a highly used medium in youth today. There are all types of portable devices that allow music to be everywhere adolescence are. From hip hop music, talking about: guns, drugs, money and girls, to heavy metal sending out diabolical messages. This medium; music, leaves room for absorption of messages pretty easily. For example in hip hop’s own Snoop Dogg, lyrics in the song “Drop it like it’s hot” he raps “you gotta gun, so you wanna pop that, AK47 now n---- stop that”. This line is basically talking about guns and using them. Part of the reason why adolescence replicate these violence acts is not because they like the actual violence but they look up to the people performing the violence. If someone liked Snoop Dogg in this case, they probably would want to immolate his actions, based on the feelings he/she has for him. Same goes with police officers beating on people, if a kid wants to become a police officer “when he grows up” the fact that a humane figure is doing that, puts it in a more glorified light. And as we spoke before children cannot distinguish fiction versus non-fiction. But back to music. In genres like heavy metal, they send out just as much demonic and violent messages. In a song titled “I kill children” by Dead Kennedy they say, “I kill children I love to see them die, I kill children to make their mother’s cry.” This line is depicting some very violent ideas. And these are just two examples, one from only two genres of music, so just imagine how many more songs out there influence violent behavior. Instead of imagining I’ll walk you through a couple of hip hop songs that evoke violent behavior. A song entitled “Violence” by Cam’ron and ODB, states “I put a gun to you girl, that’s how I f--- her…I put a gun to your brain, push you in front of a train.” Ask around to find out how many people like Cam’ron or even ODB and admire the music that these people make. Music is a very powerful medium. Lets continue on to the song “Pray for Death” by Blessed Death A role model is a very important job because in the case of these young kids having access to these types of things, their role vicariously plays out in adolescences. If parents insist on allowing forms of media raise their children then the least these parents can do is make sure children have the right role models.
Basically I am arguing against the “Cable Guy” affect (not that, that is a real affect.) Jim Carey played “The Cable Guy” and basically he was placed in front of television as a child, and grew up imitating the things he saw on those shows as a kid, in his adult life. I am arguing against that because everyone has a filter and a perspective of certain things. This statement pertains to older kids, such as teens. The same way you can make the choice of what foods not to like the choice can be made not to perform violent acts. In Finland in 2007 an 18 year old boy shot and killed five boys, two girls, and a principal, prior to killing himself. Also in Finland in 2008 20 year old killed nine students and himself. These adolescences know right from wrong and still look what the outcome of that is. Television does not have that much power, to influence numerous groups of children and in this case teens, to go on what looks to be killing sprees.

Work Cited
“Timeline of Worldwide School Shootings” infoplease.com. Pearson Education, 2007. Web. April 27, 2010