Violence in the Media: A Reference Handbook documents the issues, impact, controversies, and consequences of one of the most insidious phenomena facing American society. With 99 percent of American homes having TV sets, the book's main focus is on television violence and in particular its effects on children, who spend an average of 28 hours a week watching television. A historical synopsis, covering early concerns that continue to be hotly debated, describes congressional hearings and their outcomes. Brief biographies present perspectives on key players like theoretician Albert Bandura, communication scholar George Gerbner, and Representative Edward Marke (D-MA). A discussion of the evidence both supporting and condemning media violence includes its use by perpetrators in the Columbine High School shootings and recent sniper attacks.

Media violence harms children / American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry -- Research on the effects of media violence on children is inconclusive / Maggie Cutler -- Violence on television is a serious problem / James T. Hamilton -- Violence on television news programs is a serious problem / Rita Colorito -- The problem of television violence is exaggerated / Jib Fowles -- Violence in the movies is a serious problem / Robert W. Butler -- Violence in video games is a serious problem / Eugene F. Provenzo Jr. -- The problem of video game violence is exaggerated / Greg Costikyan -- The glamorization of guns in rap music is a serious problem / Jay Nordlinger -- The problem of violent themes in popular music is exaggerated / Hillary B. Rosen -- Media violence makes people more violent / Gregg Easterbrook -- The entertainment industry markets violent media to children / Charlie Condon -- The problem of media violence is not serious enough to justify censorship / Wendy Kaminer.

This definitive examination of a contemporary social issue asks questions such as: How much media violence is there? What are the meanings conveyed in the way violence is portrayed? What effect does it have on viewers? Divided into four parts, the book reviews research on media violence; re-examines existing theories of media violence; considers methodological tools used to assess media, and introduces the concept of Lineation Theory, a perspective and new theoretical approach explaining media violence.

Examines how we have allowed media to bombard our children's lives and offers practical advice on countering the incessant parade of images that frighten, intrigue, and influence America's kids.

Taking the provocative stand that television violence has been misinterpreted, this book posits that rather than undermining the social order, television supports order by providing a safe outlet for aggressive impulses. Fowles demonstrates that the scientific literature does not support what many believe; asks readers to question their viewing habits; explains that the anti-violence critique is best understood as the key issue in the conflict between high and popular culture; situates the arrival of televised violence within the historical context of the disallowance of traditionally sanctioned targets of aggression.

Since 1954, violence in television programming has been the subject of legislative debate, congressional hearings, agency pronouncements, and presidential commentary. Most recently, ratings of television programs have been discussed and implemented while other means of controlling the access to certain kinds of television programs have been discussed. The debate over the age-based program rating system recently implemented by the television industry has generated many questions about television violence. The essays in the volume provide answers to many of these questions on specific policy issues surrounding media violence. The contributors suggest that the research on television violence can serve as the basis for a framework that categorizes programs based on the context in which the violence is presented.