The Impact Of Media On Child Abuse

Victims, through news reports and social media, often become celebrities overnight. Victims of crime are instantly thrown into the public eye and are fair game when reporters are rushing the scene for a top news story. The media frenzy creates a chaos that magnifies the victims pain and suffering to acquire viewer’s attention, and the reports are usually more gruesome, violent and more sexually charged than the truth. Sexually violent crimes are often a top news focus, re-victimizing the survivor of the sex crime. Research shows that “84% of prime-time television shows contain at least one episode of sexual harassment, which perhaps accurately reflects the commonplace nature of this violent crime”(Beirne, 2011, pg. 11). When a crime has been committed, victims are at a vulnerable time in their lives, which is when the media takes the opportunity to move in and overwhelm them even further while distorting the facts, asking questions, and snapping pictures looking for a news story. Victims are often even re-victimized as the media picks through their past, nothing is private, all information received, whether through a dependable source or just another citizen, is displayed for all of society to make their judgment. This can lead to society thinking the victim deserved it, it was their fault, or they weren’t a good person. This type of treatment has a greater devastating emotional

The media is generally seen by people as a way of conveying the truth. If something is seen on TV, has been heard on the radio or something has been read in the newspapers then it is perceived as being the truth. Throughout history the media has been used as a tool to convey different messages to people. The issue of the behavior of children when exposed to violence on media has been an issue to be debated upon and studied for a very long time. There are many devices that children have access to of late which include video games, iPods, iPads, DVDs, computers and so on. Children are often said to be impressionable, this means that they do not see the world in the same way as adults do. Children tend to see things the way they are. They take things literally as they do not posses the sensibilities that are sophisticated to make a distinction between reality and fiction (Limit TV, 2010).

The media, including movies, television, video games, and more, is an extraordinarily prevalent entity in everyday life. Media displays many distorted images of real life, yet presents it as the ideal image of life. Those who watch the media are highly susceptible to forming false beliefs about what behavior trends are acceptable. Those who are most susceptible are children who are still forming schemas and experiencing schema accommodation; unfortunately, children between the ages of 2 and 11 watch television for an average of 28 hours a week (Calvert & Huston, 1987; Huston & Wright, 1996). Children are constantly reinforced and taught to follow gender roles, stereotypically classifying boys as macho and strong and girls as gentile and emotional. The purpose of this study is to further insight into the images popular media, specifically movies tailored to be enjoyed by children, shows to its viewers, specifically children.

I have been in a country where this kind of sexual abuse, like sexually assaulting a child, is being kept away from media. Some authorities will not make any legal actions regarding this, instead, they will do their best to cover this up to protect the wrongdoers. In fact, there was a situation where “priests with pending court cases were acquitted and even quietly reinstated to pastoral duties.”

Within our society today, media plays a huge role in everyone’s life - an important role. Media offers entertainment, news, information, and education; however, with these benefits come negatives as well. For example, foul language, drug abuse, and sexual content may be presented to an unsuitable audience, specifically children. It’s easy to see sexual content on tv, hear foul language in songs on the radio, or even hear about the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Children are especially good at mimicking what they see and are easily influenced. So, with all this content being shown openly with no censorship, children think this is a social norm, as well as spending long periods of time watching TV, playing video games, and using the internet. Modern technology has transformed the way children learn and interact within their environment, it is having a negative effect on them in this younger generation with all the easy access to all genera’s of media material for long periods of time.

Mass media is part of the average persons everyday life, from morning to night; modern society absorbs and consumes it constantly. Adults are aware of it and see the media, as advertisements on television, the latest blockbuster at the theaters or the trendy new clothing. Children are not free from it either; they to are exposed to the medias imagery and ideals maybe more than adults are. Parents may not pay close attention to the media their children are exposed to; adults may think they are just harmless children’s toys or games. From the time they wake up and they pour themselves a bowl of brand name cereal, to the time they are put in bed with their stuff animal or toy, they are in the presence of some sort of media and its imagery.

Allsopp, R. (2014). Moral Panics, The Media and Male and Female Offenders of Child Sexual Abuse. Internet Journal of Crime. Retrieved from http://www.penelopeironstone.com/Critcher.pdf

Explaining how some sex crimes captured the level of attention like the Amber Hagerman murder, Lindbergh kidnapping, and even Megan Kanka case here in New Jersey result in so much attention, and others don't is a hard subject? The big problem one can point out is mostly the Media and the politicians. First off, for the Media, if it not profitable or will not boast ratings, then they will not report it. It is the Media’s job to report news to us, still every event has factors that raised the level of attention it should receive. The factors like Who, Where, and How makes the headliners. Who was the victim or who was the offender is the big key points for the Media? Were the victim’s parents a celebrity or offender a celebrity? Was it a simple

Popular culture impacts our everyday lives. It influences us into falling for advertisements that makes us want to buy a product or change our way of thinking. For instance, television, a vital key in popular culture, promotes topics that mold our minds for better or for worse especially in children. In the article, “APA Congressional Testimony on Media Violence and Children”, Jeff J. McIntyre claims that the substantial exposure of violence in the media is affecting the minds of younger children in a negative way. This essay will explore how popular culture creates complications towards a younger generation, as explained by Jeff J. McIntyre, in order to explore the different ways in which violent media is being promoted and affecting

I understand that the media is allowing society to become informed about sexual abuse by covering murder cases, high-profile offenders and congressional scandals in headlines and television shows. For decades, the media has portrayed pedophiles as monsters; however, they are no longer being viewed as the “stranger” in “danger.” They are your neighbors, friends, and family members. Most importantly, pedophiles are people before they become criminals. This “stranger danger” perception blinds us from the warning signs when the actual offender could be someone we know and care about. Society is always shocked to learn that someone has sexually abused a child. Often enough, we will ask, how could someone be so evil to sexually abuse a child? But

When it comes to the violent victimization of children, children should have the right to be protected from victimization. Although the media focus on the victimization of children, children are increasingly becoming victims of violent crimes and neglect. Humphrey & Schmalleger stated, "About 1 in 10 homicide victims in the United States is 18 years of age or younger, about one third are females, and 47% are black" (Humphrey and Schmalleger, 2012, p. 89). One sociocultural change that would reduce the violent victimization of children is preventing any physical, sexual, and any other abuse of children that would require an extremely wide range approach to cease any level of sociocultural. I truly believe that any family structure could prevent

Journalists are given the opportunity to advocate and campaign for victims of child sexual abuse. For instance, media reporting can impact societal views, knowledge of the facts, perceptions of risk, appropriate policy responses, and how personal experience regarding child sexual abuse is understood. The media also explores stereotypes around sex offenders by shining the light on perpetrators and pedophiles in the community along with detailed analysis of the impact child sexual abuse has on the victims. Being gender conscious is also a social source as it leads to the examination of feminist initiatives that challenges sexual violence, incest as a social problem and the development of new survivor

If a child acted violently towards someone else, like if he or she punched another child, there would be consequences for that child. Perhaps detention or grounding, but then their act of violence is mostly forgotten about. Rarely do the parents or school officials investigate why the child acted violently in the first place. If asked, the adults might say something like “the child probably watches a violent television show, like Powerangers, or he/she plays violent video games, like Grand Theft Auto.” Most people would consider that an acceptable reason. It is the norm to blame “the media” for everything that is wrong with our culture. But the question raised now is why; why does our society claim that violence in the media

When it comes to the topic of violent media being beneficial for kids, most of us will readily agree that there is an ongoing debate on whether or not children should be exposed to violence. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of whether violent media can help children express their rage and other feelings that they are taught to deny. Whereas some are convinced that exposure to juvenile violence in the media is harmful to children, others maintain that it can help them meet their emotional and developmental needs. In my view, however, I believe that violent media can benefit children in many ways.

            In recent times, the news media has cried out against violent media, painting it as the leading cause for youth violence. Following events such as the Columbine massacre, news sources have vilified violent media, claiming that it is a primary cause of violent behavior in youths. This analysis provides firm research on the subject from the opposing and supporting sources, giving a thorough definition to the term “violent media” and  brings forth evidence that other psychological effects and environmental factors are more significant causes of increased youth aggression than violent media.