This definitive examination of this important social topic asks questions such as: How much media violence is there? What are the meanings conveyed in the way violence is portrayed? What effect does it have on viewers?Divided into four parts, the book covers: a review of research on media violence; re-conceptions of exisiting theories of media violence; addresses the need to rethink the methodological tools used to assess media violence; and introduces the concept of Lineation Theory, a perspective for thinking about media violence and a new theoretical approach explaining it.

The foremost experts in the field of media violence research present a broad range of approaches and findings to confirm what has long been suspected: media violence has profoundly negative effects on children. The contributors share concise and readable summaries of the most recent research--along with research conducted over the past 40 years--regarding the effects of violence in various media, including: television, film, video games, music, and the Internet. Scientifically documented negative effects on children include the aggressor effect, the victim effect, the bystander effect, and the appetite effect. Future steps to reduce the danger of media violence are also presented. This cross-disciplinary approach to media violence offers readers the most complete, up-to-date, and holistic understanding of the topic. Gentile and his contributors also examine and debunk long-held misconceptions about media violence, explaining the specific nature and unquestionable power of the negative effects.

Counters the claim that media violence leads to widespread social aggression. Dispelling this myth through a multiple-method analysis, this work argues that there are, indeed, media effects that derive from media violence, pornography, and other kinds of visual, cyberspace, and print based messages.

This definitive examination of this important social topic asks questions such as: How much media violence is there? What are the meanings conveyed in the way violence is portrayed? What effect does it have on viewers?Divided into four parts, the book covers: a review of research on media violence; re-conceptions of exisiting theories of media violence; addresses the need to rethink the methodological tools used to assess media violence; and introduces the concept of Lineation Theory, a perspective for thinking about media violence and a new theoretical approach explaining it.

Media and Violence pays equal attention to the production, content and reception involved in any representation of violence. This book offers a framework for understanding how violence is represented and consumed. It examines the relationship of media, gender, and real-world violence; representations of violence in screen entertainment; the effects of violent media on consumers; the ethics and gender politics of the production processes of screen violence; and the discussions are illustrated with topical and well-known examples, enabling the reader to critically engage with the debates.

Via 134 signed entries, this encyclopedia provides students, researchers, and the general public with an accessible, comprehensive, and well-balanced eviddence-based examination of theory, research and debates related to media violence. Entries conclude with Cross-References and Suggestions for Further Readings to guide users to related entries and resources for further research, and a thematic Reader’s Guide in the front matter groups related entries by topic to make it easier for users to locate related entries of interest.

Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence provides a comprehensive review and critique of the literature related to media violence in all its forms during childhood and adolescence. Special attention is paid to evaluating the role of the development processes in media violence research and to stressing the importance of methodology in understanding that research. The developmental analysis taken by the author allows for the identification of age-related gaps in the literature and helps students to become critical consumers of research. The book provides the most comprehensive overview available of the effects of media violence on children and adolescents. PowerPoint slides for this book are available to adopters by contacting [email protected].