Politics of HopeCommunity Mobilization Against the Risks of Violent Entertainment?

Stephen Kline,Kym StewartShane HalaszSimon Fraser University

Goal of this project

We want to see if we can help make our children’s lives safer and healthier by reducing the risks associated with TV watching, Internet use and playing with video games

Media Risk Reduction Website

Show lessons for each week to be completed in the classroom.

Show results of surveys and projects completed by students.

Provide resources for parents, students and teachers. Including reviews of current TV programs,

books and toys. Educational videos produced by SFU students

Risky World

High tech society = increased environmental risks

Not a matter of personal choice

The more we know the better we can control them

Risks to health and well-being

Lifestyle risks

Voluntary Therefore

governments are reluctant to regulate

Therefore it falls upon parental consumer

Risk associated with new media

Began with the diffusion of TV after WWII

Window onto the world of knowledge

Vast wasteland

Health and safety risks associated with media

Sitting in front of a computer leads to a increased Risk of heart attack

Pokemon cartoon leading to Epileptic seizures

Costs and benefits

Homework

Surfing pornography

Cyber-stalking

Email bullying

3 lifestyle risks

Risk to Education Poor grades

Risk to Health Lack of fitness

Risk of aggression and anti-social behaviour Bullying, being bullied, fighting, lack of

social skills

Risks to education

Poor reading Lower grades

Complex factors Child’s intelligence Family support Home environment

YRSB Reading Statistics

‘A’ Students 31.3% were light viewers 17.1% were heavy viewers

‘C’ Students 28.9% were light viewers 42.3% were heavy viewers

Risk to health

Obesity is higher among heavy TV viewers

Especially girls

YSRB obesity statistics

Overweight children

15.2% were light viewers

24.5% were heavy viewers

Correlation between media and obesity

exposed to more snack food and fast food commercials

tend to give up active leisure activities

Perpetual Media Panic: Kids Killing Kids

QuickTime™ and aCinepak decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

missing the mark!

School shootings are 1% of all child killings

17,000 dying in car accidents

30% obesity rate

Surgeon General

“ Americans cannot afford to become complacent. Even though youth violence is less lethal today than it was in 1993, the percentage of adolescents involved in violent behavior remains alarmingly high”

Not just an American problem

2001 OSDUS Mental Health Report

12% of students reported assaulting someone during last year

10% reported carrying a weapon to school

25% of students were bullied at school

32% reported bullying others

Provincial Satisfaction Surveys Grade 4 Students

“At school, are you bullied, teased or picked on?” 16% ‘sometimes’ 13% ‘many time to all the time’

“Do you feel safe at school?” 10% ‘sometimes’ 4% ‘few time to at no time’

7% solution; why focus on the relationship between media and violence

Light viewers 30.5 % aggressive

Heavy viewers 37.7% aggressive

Accounts for 1,700,000 fights

Debate

50 year debate Media industries – “No causal

relationship” Kids know between fiction and reality

Still children are exposed to 8,000 deaths and 100,000 violent acts by the time they reach 12 years of age.

Canadian studies

Media Quotient

57% of parents see their kids are being affected

Media Watch

70% of parents said media violence was their highest priority

Regulations

Adapting Tom Robinson’s Media Risk Reduction Strategy

Logic: If the more they watch the more they are at risk…Then ‘reducing the amount kids watch should reduce aggression on the playground’.

Design of Intervention

Eighteen 30-50 minute lessons media time budgets kept

TV turn off week

Peer advocacy of alternatives

Parental newsletter- parental support

Results of Robinson’s approach

25% reduction of aggression on the playground

Decrease in fear and anxiety

Decreases in peer ratings of aggression

Slower weight gain

More active leisure

Think globally act locally

Increasing deregulation

Community based program Help to reduce risks associated with media

Well designed social communication campaign Help kids to cut down their media use for one

week

Media as part of Children’s Lives

Media is embedded in children’s routines

Part of their social and family life

Media Environment

Media is not their preferred activities

Rather be with friends or family Rely on media because of boredom

Part of Peer Culture

Media has become a shared experience

Discussion of shows or games among peers

Need to make non-media activities just as COOL as media activities

Home environment

Habits are developed within a family dynamic

Media in the bedroom

Laissez faire attitude

Key points for success

Parental involvement know the risks support with negotiation and modelling create alternatives

Media Education Create realistic goals and expectations Peer discussion and decision making Provides feedback and structures rewards

Working with other community resources to provide alternatives

Health RCMP Recreation centers library

Lesson 1; Reflexivity

Media audit Time spent with the media

media audit for students and teachers Optional media audit for parents

Inclass activities like media math to help reflect on time spent with the media

Lesson 2; Moral Education

To help the students understand and discuss the rules and limitations they deal with when playing ‘rough and tumble’ games.

Using video clips of scenarios (playing versus bullying)

Talk to the students about negotiating play rules and what happens when a play activity get too rough

Lesson 3; Scripting and Re-scripting

To help the students understand the terms characters and roles in the media and in real life.

Using video clips or story discuss the options a character may have in dealing with a problem

Simpsons cartoon-Barts bullying incidences

Lesson 4; Heroes/Heroines and Villains

To make the students aware of the roles characters play on TV, in movies and on computer/video games Activities may include; art projects,

story writing, surveys and parent-child interviews

Media Tune Out week

Challenge the students to Tune Out media for one week Prior to this week discuss other

activities they can do Parental workshops will help to provide

alternative activities and support for the families during this time

Final interviews

Children, teachers and parents will be interviewed on the media risk strategies Data will be collected and analyzed Changes will be made Further funding will be sought to

continue the program