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The question of violence

		Television / Christopher Dunkley The question of violence			Violence And The Adolescent Boy made a case in 1978
					which sounds startlingly similar to this new one.
			5		What is so infuriating is that each time the case is
				55	presented we get bogged down in another argument
					about whether you can prove definite cause-and-
1		At last: the facts have been established and the			effect. It seems pretty obvious that the answer is no,
		headlines have said it all. “Official: violent			since there are so many contributory factors in such a
		videos cause crime” stated the front page splash in			complicated phenomenon. But why argue about it?
		last week’s Sunday Times. “Movies ‘can make young		60	Surely common sense tells us that if you keep on
	5	more violent’” echoed the Daily Mail on Monday. So,			showing violent material to abnormally violent
		after all these years of to-ing and fro-ing, we have it			people you may well help to reinforce their feelings
		for a fact, and the answer to society’s ills lies plain			about violence. Not that the effect is uniform: the
		before us. If crime is caused by violent videos (or			more violence you show to Mary Whitehouse, the
		pictures on a screen) all we have to do is rid ourselves		65	more opposed to it she becomes.
	10	of them and - Abracadabra! - no more crime.What	6		But let us accept that, for a small number of people,
		could be simpler?			violent images will mean a greater readiness to
2		Unfortunately, within a couple of paragraphs, you			participate in violent activities, and begin the debate
		find the black-and-white claims of the headlines			from there. The question then is: do we want all
		dulling down to a muddy grey. “Provisional findings,		70	videos, movies and television to be made to suit the
	15	due to be published in October, show that violent			needs of a few violent delinquents?
		offenders are more readily influenced by violent	7		It is not such a baffling or unusual problem. We
		videos than other young people” says the second			know that some children, and perhaps adults, too, will
		paragraph in the Sunday Times. Paragraph six in the			be harmed or even killed every year if weedkiller,
		Mail explains “Provisional results show that people		75	bleach and sharp kitchen knives remain on sale to
	20	with a violent past who are shown video nasties are			the public. They could be banned, but we accept that
		more likely to remember the details of any vicious			this is a tough world and there is a price to pay for
		acts and identify with the perpetrators”.			having such things available. It is not unreasonable to
3		Instead of the clear statement that violent videos			argue that freedom of expression, including the
		cause crime, we now have a provisional finding that, if		80	freedom to depict violence, should remain available
	25	you show violent material to that small proportion of			despite the risks (probably less significant than those
		the population already known to be violent they will			attaching to weedkiller, bleach and knives) in a
		be “more readily influenced” than their peers. The			similar trade-off.
		most specific claim comes from Dr Kevin Browne, co-	8		If, however, the answer is yes, we do want all videos,
		author of the report, who is quoted as saying “Videos		85	movies and television to be made to suit the needs of
	30	cannot create aggressive people, but they will make			violent delinquents, then we are faced with the
		aggressive people commit violent acts more			familiar problems of taste and definition. Doubtless
		frequently”. It is hard to imagine how even this			any new censorship board would not even need to
		statement can be properly substantiated, given the			think before banning Driller Killer Zombie Flesh
		difficulty in excluding all other influences and		90	Eaters VII. But what would they do the next time the
	35	maintaining a control group.			BBC wanted to screen King Lear complete with the
4		But assume the claim is right and that the			putting out of Gloucester’s eyes, or Titus Andronicus
		report really will say what is being			with its rape, mutilation and cannibalism, not to
		predicted. Does it come as a surprise?			mention such routine matters as torture and multiple
		Shall we hear something that we have not		95	murder? Murmur “Never mind, the oiks won’t
	40	heard before? Far from it. Anyone who has kept even			understand”? Or ban Shakespeare along with the
		the most casual eye on this subject over the last 25			Bible and all those dreadfully violent news
		years will have seen these assertions made over and			programmes?
		over again. There is now a large body of material on
		the subject, some of the more interesting books being			‘Financial Times’,August 24, 1997
	45	Television And Delinquency (Halloran, Brown &
		Chaney), Violence On The Screen (Glucksman),
		Violence On Television (BBC), Mass Media Violence
		And Society (Howitt & Cumberbatch), Screen
		Violence And Film Censorship (Stephen Brody), and
	50	Dimensions of Television Violence (Gunter). Above			.
		all, in this particular instance, Belson’s Television