If you have been listening to the radio, you may have heard Bob “I make it my mission to get on the airwaves” McCoskrie doing his thing referring to this reality.
The following is the study that he would have been referencing, with I am Jonny King hearing about through a US cable News channel!
The reason why this is significant is that a good percentage of what is on the airwaves in New Zealand, is sourced from a US context, and as such, this study has resonance in our New Zealand context [which would be true of most nations of this world, I would think].
This study was undertaken by, The Parents Television Council, who are thus described…
The Parents Television Council™ (www.parentstv.org®) is a non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. It was founded in 1995 to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence and profanity on television and in other media. Our national grassroots organization has more than 1.3 million members across the United States, and works with television producers, broadcasters, networks and sponsors in an effort to stem the flow of harmful and negative messages targeted to children. We are a nonpartisan organization that works with elected and appointed government officials to enforce broadcast decency standards. Most importantly, the PTC produces critical research and publications documenting the dramatic increase in sex, violence and profanity in entertainment. This information is provided free of charge so parents can make informed viewing choices for their own families.
Television is the most powerful medium in the world. It can be a wonderful way to educate, inspire, and entertain America’s children. Sadly it’s doing the opposite and undermining the positive values parents are trying to instill in their young ones.
The PTC agrees that parents have the greatest responsibility when it comes to monitoring the viewing habits of their children, but the PTC challenges actors, writers, producers, musicians, game-makers and advertisers to get serious about the vital role they play in shaping America’s culture. The gratuitous sex, foul language, and violence on TV (along with stories and dialogue that create disdain for authority figures, patriotism, and religion) are having a negative effect on children. Much of the PTC’s success stems from motivating the public to voice its support of family-friendly programming to network executives, advertisers, public policy leaders, and the creative community in Hollywood. The PTC has employed these efforts to help save values-driven shows such as ITV’s Doc and CBS’s Joan of Arcadia, and to encourage other shows to get rid of the offensive content, including Coupling, Nip/Tuck, and Skin. The PTC also has a successful campaign to clean up the Family Hour.
The major findings that this study discovered were among the following…
Incidents of violence against women and teenage girls are increasing on television at rates that far exceed the overall increases in violence on television. Violence, irrespective of gender, on television increased only 2% from 2004 to 2009, while incidents of violence against women increased 120% during that same period.
- The most frequent type of violence against women on television was beating (29%), followed by credible threats of violence (18%), shooting (11%), rape (8%), stabbing (6%), and torture (2%). Violence against women resulted in death 19% of the time.
- Violence towards women or the graphic consequences of violence tends overwhelmingly to be depicted (92%) rather than implied (5%) or described (3%).
Every network but ABC demonstrated a significant increase in the number of storylines that included violence against women between 2004 and 2009.
Although female victims were primarily of adult age, collectively, there was a 400% increase in the depiction of teen girls as victims across all networks from 2004 to 2009.
Fox stood out for using violence against women as a punch line in its comedies — in particular Family Guy and American Dad — trivializing the gravity of the issue of violence against women.
From 2004 to 2009 there was an 81% increase in incidences of intimate partner violence on television.
“Our study today serves as a clarion call to all Americans about a critical issue with dire consequences. We are calling on television producers and network executives, members of the advertising community, elected representatives and appointed government officials, and most importantly, the viewing public, to stand up against this disturbing trend. In a country where more than 60% of children have been exposed to violence in their daily lives, according to recent research by Justice Department, we must take the utmost care not to normalize violent behavior – especially violence against women – through our television programming,” Winter added.
To read the study or watch video content samples, among some other possibilities, visit HERE
This should be a call and a reminder to be careful and diligent in what we are putting before the eyes of our soul, and in a family context, any children that God has given us to steward!
Here’s an idea… Readeem the Time [Eph. 5:16]!
Until Next Time
I am Jonny King
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