Children and Television

Abstract

The idea for this book grew from a concern with the manner in which 'television' - particularly 'television violence' - is often cited as a cause of violent crime or behaviour when debates on censorship or control of the media are discussed. This connection is usually made in the context of the behaviour of young people, which raises the question of whether this is another way of blaming young people for broader ills in society. On the other hand, it is rare for even a single reference to 'television' to be included in the index of most texts on juvenile crime. Television, it seems, is presented as an almost omnipresent and increasingly influential force in society, yet outside texts on television itself there is little detailed discussion of how it influences the behaviour of young people.