Constant exposure to the repeated depiction of violence on television also leads to blunt emotional reactions of the viewers. Such desensitization can lead to both hardened attitudes about violence directed at others and decreased interest in taking action on behalf of a victim of violence (Clarke-Pearson, 1997). A well-known example of this "bystander" effect is the New York City Kitty Genovese incident (Sege & Dietz, 1997).Exposure to television violence, both on fictional programs and news reports, makes the world seem like a frightening place and can lead to nightmare and sleep problems. Viewing violence can lead to children being afraid of becoming a victim of violence (Clarke-Pearson, 1997). It is likely that children who witness violence in their homes or communities are especially vulnerable to media influences, as each exposure validates the other and confirms the role violence plays in settling disputes (Augustyn, Parker, Groves, & Zuckerman, 1998). There is little prosocial programming for children to consider alternative methods to violence and the consequences of violence (Sege & Dietz, 1997; Spivak & Harvey, 1998).In our society, television is the main source of news and information, and the main source of entertainment as well. More than 99 percent of U.S. households have at least one television set, and about two- thirds of them have two, three, or more sets (Nielsen 1998). As the number of TV sets in a household has increased, family viewing has declined, and individual program selection and solitary viewing have increased. Cable programming is found in 68 percent of households, greatly expanding the number of networks and independent stations that can be accessed. In the United States, 54 percent of children have a television set in their bedrooms. About 87 percent of U.S. households have a VCR, and about $10 billion is spent annually on video rentals, double the amount spent at movie theaters (Mediascope 1998).The ave...
