Statement Called a Turning Point
Advocating a code of conduct for the entire entertainment industry, Brownback compared today’s initiative by the medical community to a declaration that cigarettes can cause cancer.
     “I think this is an important turning point,” said Brownback. “Among the professional community, there’s no longer any doubt about this. For the first time, you have the four major medical and psychiatric associations coming together and stating flatly that violence in entertainment has a direct effect on violence in our children.”
     The Motion Picture Association of America and the National Association of Broadcasters refused to comment on the medical associations’ statement.
     While the associations’ wrote, “ "We in no way mean to imply that entertainment violence is the sole, or even necessarily the most important factor contributing to youth aggression, anti-social attitudes, and violence. Family breakdown, peer influences, the availability of weapons, and numerous other factors contribute to these problems….”
     Today’s statement left little doubt about the medical community’s stand on violence in entertainment.
     “Children who see a lot of violence are more likely to view violence as an effective way of settling conflicts. Children exposed to violence are more likely to assume that acts of violence are acceptable behavior,” the statement said.
     “Viewing violence can lead to emotional desensitization toward violence in real life. It can decrease the likelihood that one will take action on behalf of a victim when violence occurs.”
     “Viewing violence may lead to real-life violence. Children exposed to violent programming at a young age have a higher tendency for violent and aggressive behavior later in life than children who are not so exposed.”
     Brownback said he hopes the statement will convince lawmakers that something has to be done about media violence. And, “I hope parents will look at this and say that they’re going to have to police their children’s entertainment violence content the same way they police what their children eat and other health issues.”

‘A Part of Life’
One entertainment violence monitoring group, The Lion & Lamb Project in nearby Bethesda, Md., cheered the statement.
     “Right now, the message we’re sending children in the media is that violence is OK ... that it’s part of life and sometimes it’s even funny,” Executive Director Daphne White said. “We’re even using violence for humor now.”
     Jeff Bobeck, a spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters, said television now has V-chips and a rating system to help parents take control of what their children watch. “We think more parents need to control their remote control,” Bobeck said.


The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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