Demographic Effects

Although it is not without controversy, the general consensus in the scientific community has been that exposure to violence in the media is one of the contributing factors in the development of aggressive behavior. It has also been recognized that a number of demographic features (individual difference variables) meaningfully affect this relationship. Not only is an understanding of the influence of these factors essential to identifying the likely outcomes of viewing violent media, such awareness is also critical to determining appropriate methods for mitigating harmful effects. Thus, these individual differences in audience members affect both susceptibility and resilience to potentially harmful media messages and the mechanisms that may be involved in managing unintended and/or unfavorable responses. After describing the prevalence of violence in media, this ...