Re: Vandalism and Violence

Anymouse, October 16, 2006

Another key difference between what happens on CSI and Cold Case and the You Tube videos, is that CSI is make believe whereas some of the the fights and vandalism on You Tube are real...they have actually happened ... although I expect some are staged... What is worse, some are created by targeting the weak to humiliate them in person and in an on-going way on You Tube. I know I'd be a very unhappy mother if my kid turned up as a victim of a video on You Tube. Sadly many kids who are bullied never report it to parents or teachers, so they could suffer for a very long time after the bloodied nose is gone. I dread the consequences for the victims here. The sporting field punch-ups on commercial television are also a different category to the bullying and beating variety. They are adults, not hapless youths or innocent by-standers falling victims to school or street gangs. Is there any proof that violent programming (whatever the location) breeds more violence in the community? If yes, then we are in trouble...have a look through an Australian TV guide for a week and take out the crime based shows and it only leaves the medical dramas and a few lifestyle and reality shows. Not much else. If no, then would the kids making these videos be doing it anyway and now they are making their own 'evidence' if they are reported? So then giving kids a reporting hotline might actually get these thugs dealt with. The (Australian) Sixty Minutes story had a reasonably balanced view. While not missing the nasty side, it did address the power and the pitfalls. The more we can build up the power stories, the more chance we have of doing good stuff with it in schools. I do not envy schools in their duty of care responsibilities in these times. Lindy McKeown Australia [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]