Does The Media Influence Juvenile Delinquency?

Table of Content

Introduction1

Reaction Statement1

Discussion1

Television and Movie Violence2

Television News violence4

Music Videos and Lyrics4

Violent interactive games5

Display of excessive wealth6

Juvenile Justice in Social Perspective6

Conclusion7

References9

Does The Media Influence Juvenile Delinquency?

Introduction

Juvenile delinquency is defined as behavior of children under the age of 18 that gives rise to crime or legal action. This phenomenon causes large- scale social problems in communities. Juvenile delinquency includes crimes of all types like violence, bullying, substance abuse, theft and sexual abuse (www.rand.org, 2012).

Social scientists have researched the factors affecting juvenile delinquency in great detail. There are a great many of them. Single parents, media violence, unjust social structure, poverty and lack of parental discipline are some of them. While each factor is important in its own right, media plays a very important role in shaping the tendencies that lead to juvenile crime (Khromina, 2007).

Reaction Statement

I strongly support the notion that media does influence juvenile delinquency. The impact of mass communication is evident in all areas of life. Juvenile crime is also affected by it, only more so because minors lack the ability to sift out the irrational from the rational and logical view.

Discussion

It is commonly assumed that the family takes on a central role in personality and social development. But another factor, the mass media, has been lurking around to disrupt this equilibrium. Media influence on children is almost always significant, destructive and irreversible. Younger children are greatly influenced by media aggression because they cannot distinguish between what is real and what is not.  They cannot understand the motives for violence, and learn by copying what they see (Dawursk, 2009). Commercial mass media has revolutionized the way we receive, perceive and retain news and other information. It is rather subjective and hyped in its flavor.

American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Psychiatric Association have cautioned about these outcomes of media violence:

Increase in anti-social and aggressive behavior in children.

Desensitizing of children to violence and victims of violence.

Cognitive change in adolescents in viewing the world as violent and mean.

Juveniles will desire more violence in entertainment and real life

Children will see violence as an agreeable way to settle conflicts (Dawursk, 2009).

The above cited threats to the social fabric stem from the fact that media plays a very important role in the life of an average urban family. With dual incomes, working mothers and a loosening of parental control, it is natural that media in any of its form is the predominant baby sitter of children today.

Given the huge profits that the media and related industries churn out today, the violence business is thriving. The concerned screams of parents and policy makers are drowned in the huge taxes the Government receives from this industry.

Television and Movie Violence

The correlation between violent content and its influence on juvenile minds cannot be understated. Research on television programs, movies, video games and music reveals that media violence incites violent and anti-social behavior. Long term exposure to violent content increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior. Short term exposure results in physical ...