TV violence is not usually explicit or graphic. There are also some important differences in the presentation of violence across types of TV programs. The first year of study explored how ratings and advisories are currently used, and the role they play in the viewing decisions of children, parents and university undergraduates. The content that prompted the concern is rarely indicated. The respondents included more than 200 adolescents drawn from a middle school, a training school for boys and a university.
Preliminary findings appear below.
No evidence was found that the PSAs or anti-violence program significantly altered the adolescents' attitudes toward the appropriateness of using violence to resolve conflict. But these scored better with younger students with less exposure to violence. Young people may be more affected by depictions of family suffering as a potential consequence of violence, than they are by death. Network promotions and sponsor tags attached to PSAs appear to compete for valuable time and audience attention. When violence does occur, keep the number of incidents low.