Heavy viewers also tended to overestimate their likelihood of being involved in a violent crime. And if this is true of adults, imagine how much TV violence affects children's perception of the world. No parent would have permitted it. This would mean that a large portion of young people fit into the category of heavy viewers. By the time the average American child reaches public school, he has already spent several years in an electronic nursery school.
Television violence affects both adults and children in subtle ways.
While we may not personally feel or observe the effects of TV violence, we should not ignore the growing body of data that suggests that televised imagery does affect our perception and behavior. Obviously something must be done. Parents, programmers, and general citizens must take responsible actions to prevent the increasing violence in our society. Violent homes, violence on television, violence in the movies, violence in the schools all contribute to the increasingly violent society we live in. We have a responsibility to make a difference and apply the appropriate principles in order to help stem the tide of violence in our society.