Media Violence and Children A Complete Guide for Parents and Professionals

Reader Reviews
A Great Overview of the Science of Media Violence
By David Walsh

It seems like everyone has an opinion about media violence. Some think that violence on the screen has no effect at all on our kids. Others believe that it is behind school violence, bullying and a widespread "culture of disrespect." The debates over media violence are often based on opinion or personal experience. What is needed is a thorough examination of what we know from the research. Dr. Gentile has provided just that resource. Scientists have been studying the impact of screen violence on children since the 1950s. Hundreds of studies have been completed and this book does an excellent job of synthesizing the results. Dr. Gentile enlisted the top researchers in the field, and each provides concise and readable summaries. This book is an excellent resource for parents, policy makers and academics who want to know what the science says about the effects of violence in television, movies, video games, music, and the Internet. Students and researchers will find the fifty five pages of references an invaluable resource.
This book makes an important contribution to the growing dialog about media violence. After reading this collection of chapters by the leading thinkers in the field, it is clear that violence on the screens does have an effect on our kids. We need to use this information to educate parents about the importance of supervising the viewing habits of children and youth. I recommend it highly.
David Walsh, Ph.D.
President, National Institute on Media and the Family
Minneapolis

Wake Up Call
By Learning Abilities Books

For decades, many experienced teachers have tried to tell us that watching violence increases violence. A few voices in the mental health community have done the same but their voices haven't gotten the publicity they deserve. Details about the book are given in Dr. Walsh's review and the editorial reviews so I won't go into that here. I'll just say I highly recommend this for anyone who cares about children.