The Development of Aggression in American Children as a Consequence of Television Violence Viewing

In the United States the question of whether television violence engenders aggressive behavior has been debated more vociferously, perhaps, than in any other country. For over 15 years the U.S. Congress, governmental administrators, police officials, the courts, health interest groups, parent groups, mental health professionals, and the violence purveyors themselves have been involved in round after round of studies, hearings, and reports (e.g., the Surgeon General's Report, the Pastore Hearings, the National Institute of Health reports). The reasons for such an abiding concern with media violence in the United States are not obscure.