How much are today's youth actually influenced by violence in the media? People who would never dispute the positive influence of programs like Sesame Street are reluctant to acknowledge that other programming may do harm. As early as the 1930s, however, parents were expressing concerns about the content of various media. Today, almost every violent crime perpetrated by a young person is probed for evidence of media influence, often while other contributing factors are ignored. With an in-depth look at media violence and its possible influence on young viewers, this book examines how the...

Congressional scrutiny and public criticism of violent television have spanned nearly four decades with little change in the emphasis of those protests. Despite the intensive spotlight cast on broadcasters, few in Congress have really tried to affect any real changes in the amount and nature of violence in television programming. Although there have been many studies conducted on the effects of television, few authors have explored the political, cultural and societal influences in the battles over television violence. This book explores the complexities of Congressional and public scrutiny...