(The surgeon general finds that violence is not caused by violent cartoons and violent movies. We must concentrate out energies on things that actually do reduce violence, not things that we just THINK reduce violence. - Mike)

from - http://www.freedomforum.org/news/2001/01/2001-01-19-05.htm

Surgeon general's youth-violence report backs media, experts say

By Alicia Benjamin-Samuels The Freedom Forum Online

01.19.01

Although a report issued this week by Surgeon General David Satcher mentions a link between media violence and youth violence, several First Amendment experts say the report does more to vindicate, rather than condemn, the media.

"The report well establishes, contrary to the media-violence campaigners' claims, that we (the media) are not creating a culture of violence among our youth, nor are there any substantial adverse long-term effects," said Robert S. Peck, a Washington, D.C., constitutional lawyer.

The report "found that it was extremely difficult to distinguish between the relatively small long-term effects of exposure to media violence and those of other influences," according to a press release issued by the surgeon general's office on Jan. 17. However, the report does say, "Research to date justifies sustained efforts to curb the adverse effects of media violence on youths."

"The issue of the role of the media in youth violence is an important one, and some people expected it to be a major focus of our report," Satcher said in a Jan. 17 CNN chat room discussion. "But, in the report, while we point out that exposure to violence in the media - especially television - can significantly increase aggressive behavior in youth, it is not a major long-term factor in violent behavior." He said more research should be conducted to discover what causes youth violence.

The White House and Congress requested that the youth violence study be conducted in 1999 after two Columbine High School students in Colorado killed 12 students and a teacher before committing suicide. A shooting at a Baltimore high school happened about an hour before Satcher released the report's findings, according to an Associated Press article.

A team of researchers, assembled by the National Institutes of Health, prepared the report.

The report suggests that factors, other than media violence, threaten to cause violence among young people. "The major factors today fall into the categories of individual and environmental factors," Satcher said in the CNN chat room discussion. The report also says that a failure to recognize the true nature of the youth violence problem can "obscure the need for informed policy or for interventions."

Joan Bertin, executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship agrees with Satcher's assessment that other factors contribute to youth violence.

"The report recognizes that violence is an extremely complex issue and quick fixes won't do and can actually be harmful and distract attention from more profitable avenues and research," Bertin said. "The report leaves media influences in a very marginal place," she added.

Bertin said Satcher's report is similar to one issued in 1994 by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences on violence that pointed to environmental, biological, social, economic and personal factors that influence violent behavior among all people, not just youth.

Peck says that those who use the surgeon general's report to support government limitations on media violence would be misusing it.

"Even the surgeon general, who obviously was seeking to find a significant connection between media violence and real violence, could not, and instead recommended 'efforts to curb adverse effects,' " Peck said. "I read that as support for more media education, not for censorship."

Bertin says she hopes the surgeon general's report will allow people to discuss the debate over whether media violence influences youth violence more dispassionately and clearly.

"It's simply wrong-headed to take the shootings at Columbine High School and say if kids don't watch violence on television and don't play video games then they won't commit violent acts," she said.

Marjorie Heins, director of the Free Expression Policy Project in New York, says the causes of youth violence are complex and grow out of family and peer group relationships. "Media violence is not a significant factor and censoring media violence will do nothing to resolve the problems of troubled youth," she said.

The report "focuses on real causes of problems of youth violence," Heins said. "The media is a very minor insignificant factor in this report, which criminologists have been saying for 10 years or more."

In the press release issued by Satcher's office, the surgeon general said it's important that the nation confront youth violence "systematically using research-based approaches and to correct damaging myths and stereotypes that interfere with the task at hand."

Heins agrees.

"Hopefully, the report will help focus policy makers on real solutions to this problem rather than headline-grabbing, but ultimately senseless, censorship proposals."

Michael Dickey x10883 EST Reactive Engineer