What’s New on Violence in Entertainment?

Do sex and violence, graphically depicted in movies and TV programs, give viewers ideas and cause them to act similarly in real life? This long-debated topic has been given a new twist recently.

“Usually these ideas are controlled by our inhibitions,” explains Dr. Leonard Berkowitz, professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin. But when such films and programs are promoted in the name of artistic expression, and perhaps given favorable reviews by some critics, says Berkowitz, “it helps to legitimize not just the movie but the behavior, taking the viewer off his guard and making it less likely that his inhibitions will be as strong.” Where the element of sex is added, as often is the case, it “produces greater arousal and makes it more likely that people will act on their ideas.”

Dr. Berkowitz’ conclusion, which is the result of more than 20 years of research, is cited by The New York Times in an article on several films of this type. To many people, says the article, these programs “are particularly objectionable precisely because they are seen to give an aura of respectability to the portrayal of the most grisly and violent assaults.”