For example, you take two brothers from an identical lousy environment missing father, overworked mother, no money, rotten inner city neighborhood. One brother joins a gang and has committed his first murder within a couple of years. On the other hand the second brother hides out from the gangs at the public library and learns to read out of boredom. Since he learns how to read he manages to stay in school and takes a fast-food job while attending night college classes. Comparing two specific phenomena in isolation tells us nothing.
Studies linking TV violence with real violence try to reduce human behavior to stimulus and effect.
It may work with rat psychology, but it doesn t work with human psychology. We are not robots which are programmed. If someone is prone to violence, then they will probably seek and obtain violent images and if it isn t broadcast on TV, it will be sought and obtained otherwise. TV, not religion, is today s tranquilizer of the masses. If you want to change TV, change the desire of the viewing public from distraction to intellectual stimulation.