Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence: A Critical Look at the Research

Fully updated with the latest research, this book provides a comprehensive review and critique of the research on media violence as it relates to children and adolescents. Reflecting new findings in the field, special attention is paid to evaluating the role of the development processes in media violence research and to stressing the importance of methodology in understanding that research. The book provides the most comprehensive overview available of the effects of media violence on children and adolescents. Key features: covers multiple forms of media violence (e.g., animated violence, sports violence, dramatic violence, gaming violence); discusses and critiques the five major theories utilized to explain the impact of media violence on children and adolescents; places media violence in the context of other risk factors for aggression; extends the discussion beyond explicit media violence to address the potential benefits and harm associated with nonviolent media consumption; and, ‘Research in Focus’ boxes highlight key data and statistics.