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Violence and the youth - two reports



ttc1234 4 / 6  
Apr 28, 2009   #1
I had to write two reports before i wrote my essay on violence in youth culture...could u help me correct my two reports.

Report 1

In today's modern society, there appears to be a major phenomenon with violent and destructive video games, influencing young individuals to engage in aggressive behaviours. For instance, Grand Theft Auto, a videogame designed for the systems Play Station and Xbox remains a top seller. It consists of crimes, such as assassinations, pimping, street racing, and theft. Unconsciously, individuals who play this game, may end up being wrongly influenced, causing them to want to practice these crimes. Even though many chose to blame the violence occurring within the younger generations, Psychologists, Sociologists, and Anthropologists, all take a different approach when taking to discover why violence continues to transpire with the youth in our society.

Psychologists have discovered that high exposure of violent video games can be linked to delinquency, fighting at school and during free play periods, and brutal criminal actions (Anderson, C.A., & Bushman, B.J. 2007). Majority of parents believe that violent childish cartoons will not result in their children becoming aggressive. However a study conducted with college students demonstrated that fantasy like cartoons have a strong effect on young adolescents minds. A current study established major increases in violent behaviour by college students subsequent to playing E-rated (suitable for everyone) violent video games (Anderson, C.A., & Bushman, B.J. 2007). Its been proven by psychologists that violence is something that is learned and taught. According to a report conducted by the APA Commission on Violence and Youth in 1994 known as Reason to Hope, it becomes predictable by the age of eight if a child will end up displaying aggressive behaviour in school, how aggressive the child will be during their adolescence? And how he or she will act during their adulthood---if they will engage in criminal or violent activity (APA, 1996). Statistics demonstrate "juveniles between the ages of 12 and 17 are more likely to experience violence than any other age group except young adults age 18-24" (APA.1996). It is believed that a generation in America is at risk, due to the increasing rate of young individuals engaging in violence.

According to a sociological Analysis, video games might not be the only reason to why adolescents portray violent behaviours. In the winter issue of the American Sociological Association's Contexts magazine, sociologist Karen Sternheimer opposes the psychologists' views on violent video games. Sternehimer suggests that by placing all the blame on violent video games society pardons the child's environment, which may be the key element causing this child to display aggressive actions. She argues we must take poverty, instability, family violence, unemployment, and mental illnesses into consideration when studying adolescent violent (Sinha 2007). Sternehimer believes that by placing the blame on video games, it gives criminals excuses, exemplified by individuals who are raised in "good" environments that portray violent actions, and are frequently unpretentiously categorized in the media and by politicians to be "harbingers of a 'new breed' of youth, influenced by video games rather than by their social conditions (Sinha, 2007). Video games sells have been said to increase in the past recent years. However, juvenile homicide arrest rates fell 77 percent, which leaves Sternehimer to believe violent video games are not to be blamed for the youth's crime rate, but their social circumstances should be examined (Sinha, 2007).

Anthropologists took a different approach when examining this issue. According to anthropology, violence is connected to culture, and the upbringing of the child. The influence pop culture and the mass media has over younger generations may manipulate their young minds to be persuaded into employing themselves in violence behaviours (Rothenbuhler, Coman 2008). Anthropologists strictly observe the elements of youth culture, and cultural development to gain an understanding regarding how civilization affects adolescents in terms of violence ((Rothenbuhler, Coman 2008).

It's said that children and teenagers spend approximately forty-forty percent of their time watching television. This can cause them to becoming misled by the wrongful representations being displayed. Psychologists, Sociologists and Anthropologists provided three different findings to why young adolescents act out violent behaviours. . Even though the media and video games should be taken into consideration for reflecting the violence within the young generation. Society must also focus on the child's upbringing, environment, and parenting as well, which to may have a strong influence on the child's actions.

Report 2

On April 20th 1999, North America became awakened by The Columbine High School massacre that demonstrated even schools were no longer a completely safe environment for younger children. Two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a rampage killing twelve students and a teacher. Twenty-one thers were injured , while three were injured while attempting to escape. This event rised debates regarding the usage of aggressive video games, destructive music, and violent films (Goldberg, 1999).

According to the National Centre for Education Statistics, Jr. High and High School students were victims of about 2 million violent crimes such as robbery, sexual assault, rape, and aggravated assault (cite). This erupts a debate that argues what causes these young individuals to participate in violent activities? Jerald Block, an American psychiatrist uses the fact that Klebold and Harris immersed in video games like Doom, a violent video again which desensitized them. It was said that when both young men played this game they appeared engaged and satisfied (Hartford Courant, 1999). Analysts argued that being exposed to constant violent imagery found in video games, audio and films might result in an obsession with these forms of media, causing depersonalization (Hartford Courant, 1999).

However, is it fair to blame the mass media for a child's violent behaviour? Studies show that eighty-eight percent of young boys in countries such as India, America, Canada and Brazil selected super heroes as their role models (Harding, 2009). In contrast to young girls who chose pop icons as individuals they admire (Hitti, 2005). The media doesn't reinforce violence on children, but it sets a standard for what may be considered ordinary and tolerable in our society (Huesmann, 2004). In the media, violence appears to be something natural. Children can witness acts of violence in cartoons, sports, and sitcoms, making them question if violence is a normal factor in the general public (Huesmann, 2004).

It's the obvious that popular media is a potential cause of aggressive behaviour. Children screening of vicious television shows, their recognition with belligerent same-sex TV characters, and their discernment that TV violence is pragmatic are all concurrent to later violent behaviour as young adults, for both males and females (Huesmann, 2004). A study suggests a number of steps parents and society can take to prevent or reduce this effect is co-viewing, and discussing the television show, or music with their child, to distinguish what is real and fake, as well as what is right and wrong (Huesmann, 2004).

The affect of violence portrayed in the media differs in terms of age, gender and personality. Studies demonstrated that boys were more influenced by negative portrayals publicized by the media, compared to girls (Hitti, 2005). Researchers stated, "growing up in a violent family and being a victim of violence or witnessing violence between others is known to have a strong effect on a person's predisposition to act aggressive" (Hitti, 2005). In the November issue of the journal Pediatrics, a study demonstrates kids in both America and Japan who reported playing numerous violent video games displayed more aggressive behaviour in later months, juxtaposed to their peers who did not occupy themselves with video games (Harding, 2009).

Dr. David Walsh, president of the National Institute on Media and the Family, a Minneapolis-based-non-profit, suggests the persuasiveness of violence revealed by the mass media has contributed to a "culture of disrespect," providing children with a wrong message that it is acceptable to treat another individual in an aggressive or discourteous manner (Harding, 2009). Walsh states that just because a child is interested in a violent movie or video game, it doesn't necessarily mean they are going to immediately become physical with another individual. He specifically believes that the constant portrayal of violence in the media is changing societies perception of what is correct (Harding, 2009). The impact violence in the media has is now shaping societies norms and attitudes, making violence a "realistic" element of our culture.

thanks

EF_Sean 6 / 3459  
May 14, 2009   #2
Even though many chose to blame the violence occurring within the younger generations

This keeps coming up when this topic is being discussed. Could you provide statistics indicating just how much, if at all, youth violence rates have increased over the past thirty or so years? For instance, you could look at the chart here:

youthviolence.edschool.virginia.edu/violence-in-schools/nati onal-statistics.html

or take statistics from this article

media-awareness.ca/english/resources/articles/perceptions_of _crime/myth_youth.cfm

or this web site:

safeyouth.org/scripts/facts/statistics.asp

Hmmmm . . . oh, wait, they all say that youth violence has been decreasing for the past decade. This wasn't a deliberate attempt to undercut your point, btw -- they are simply the first three sites listed in Google when I search for "youth violence rates." If you are going to say that video games are fueling an increase in youth violence, it would be nice if you could establish that there has actually been an increase in youth violence. Because if youth violence has been declining for the past ten years, and video games have been getting more popular, then playing video games would seem to prevent teen violence. [unless one realizes that correlation doesn't necessarily equal causation, of course].
Mustafa1991 8 / 369  
May 14, 2009   #3
Here are some quick revisions you could make to the essay in your latest post. I'll do 1 line for every 5-6 in your essay.

line 1 - In society today, a major phenomonen is becoming apparent with violent video games wherein...

line 6 - Psychologists have documented that kids who play violent video games are more prone to engage in violent behavior themselves, compared to kids who... (Only if you are at liberty to say that -- if it's actually true. Sean makes a good point that the only thing concurrence proves, at least at first sight, is concurrence.)

Scratch that:

Now that I read your essay in one pass, I think you should modify your perspective first, before worrying about grammar errors.

It seems you are not even being asked to suppport one side or the other; these essays are the easiest.

Go back and change your essay so it reads like a bland user manual. Summarize the arguments
"Alex says this.." but "Bianca says that"; there is nothing to it. The only way you could do an exceptional job on this kind of paper is by knowing the arguments really well and explaining them really well. Otherwise, it's a 20 minute assignment, and there isn't a wrong answer.

If you're going to take a stake in one voluntarily, pick the right argument.

If not, you have to be adept at writing about grandiose theory and possible flaws in the more widely accepted argument.

Here's a start, my way: Behaviors learned in childhood can define a person as an adult... This is why _'s are alarmed about...

__'s counter that...

Give it a try, it's not at all hard.


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