Human aggression is a result of certain forms of cultures and the interpersonal processes therein, as was shown in comprehensive research studies in the field of anthropology as well as cultural anthropology and ethnology (Leakey, Malinowski, Benedict, Mead, Montague).¹

“All that means that the thesis of the innate aggression of man is no longer supportable”.²

Neither is man “born to be a warmonger in terms of biology”. There is no reason to “fatalistically stick to the view that violence and aggression were a sort of ‘natural law’”.³

Violence is learned

Since the 70ies it has been known that violence is learned and is not the result of an aggressive drive.⁴ 

Observational learning

Aggression is learned by observing and imitating a model:

“Humans are not born with a predestined repertoire of aggressive behaviors, they have to be learned some way or other.”⁵

Even children who do not show any readiness to behave aggressively, adopt the aggressive behavior by observing and imitating models.

“Obviously one does not have to be emotionally disturbed or hyper-aggressive in order to learn aggressive practices by observation.”⁶

To act out one’s aggressiveness, however, does not lead to less aggression but quite the opposite to more aggression. (Bandura p. 169, German edition)

Exposure to violence in the media

Media today offer the most vigorous models for the observational learning of violence. A multitude of research studies have shown this:

Losing one’s sense of reality by exposure to and use of electronic media.⁷ 

The use of media, i.e. playing video-or computer games prevents the player’s encounter with reality, which alone may enable the child to develop self-assurance, a sense of responsibility and a positive outlook on life. The child’s play is supposed to train basic social skills and to teach to handle negative experiences. Computer games are unable to do that. In these games children are exposed to extreme attitudes and behaviors. But they do not obtain any positive measure of values.8 Media do isolate children emotionally and physically and separate them from the necessary close personal attachment towards caring adults.⁹

Exposure to media violence leads to a higher readiness to behave aggressively in the long run

As early as 1977 the longitudinal research of Lefkovitz et al. showed that

“TV with its focus on interpersonal violence and its unrestricted orientation towards profit has assumed the role to stimulate aggression and also to teach the viewers specific techniques of aggressive behavior.”¹⁰ 

The presentation of violence on TV and Video does not only incite imitation in children but they are also made less sensitive, that means they show less emotional reactions towards violent acts and accept real violence as almost natural.¹¹

Longitudinal studies prove the clear connection between exposure to media like TV  and aggressiveness.

“The more frequent TV viewing of children, the more likely they will be violent as grown-ups.”¹²

Learned aggressiveness must not necessarily show in every behavior, but in certain situations the learned aggressive behavior may be applied.

“Aggressive thinking on the basis of aggressive thought patterns precede aggressive behavior. The exposure to TV-violence builds up these aggressive thought patterns.”¹³

Killer games: Media as trainers of violence

Children are trained to kill and hurt by media, just as soldiers are by military training programs. Dave A. Grossman, former officer and military psychologist in Westpoint maintains that children are made insensitive, brutalized and conditioned to overcome their natural resistance against killing, just like soldiers in military training programs.

We are exposing our children and teenagers exactly to the same mechanisms as the professional military who are conditioned to kill.

“In order to kill you need three things, a weapon, the skill and the will to kill. Violent videos supply two of these: The skill and the will.”¹⁴

Media violence brutalizes children and youths

During the last years the use of violence containing computer and video games has increased rapidly, even up to addiction. There are students who play these games over 50 hours per week, sometimes even until they fade.

Professor Werner Glogauer, expert on media impact at the University of Augsburg, has proved that a number of massacres committed by children and youths in Germany and the USA since the mid nineties show a obvious relation to consumption of media containing violence.

Violent deeds in films inspire youths. Murders were staged, modeled on well- know film scenes,( e.g. the Littleton massacre, the killing frenzies of Kentucky, Arkansas, Washington, Mississipi).

Video and computer games are produced to be ever more realistic and inhumane. The user can modify the game according to his motives and interests; he can for instance scan photos of hated persons and then kill them per mouse-click. 

Violent videos and computer games cause a massive increase in aggressive behavior and a decrease in pro-social behavior of children.¹⁵

Prevention

The prevention of violence has to be conducted in the family, in school and society. Crucial is the banishment of each form of violent behaviour by children and by adults. Fields of preventions and concepts of prevention are:

Prevention by emotional warmth, empathy (sympathy), setting of limits, non-hostile measures and authority

Prevention of violence begins in the emotional exchange between the primary caring person (normally the mother) and the child. A positive emotional attitude  towards the child, characterized by warmth and empathy, reduces the risk of the child’s developing of a hostile and aggressive attitude towards its  human fellows and the environment.

Granting of personal freedom to develop personal independence (autonomy) must be supported by clear statements against negative or violent behavior of the child. It is such a consequent attitude  which makes up the positive authority of the educator  giving the child a positive orientation.

“Love and empathy of the person(s) caring for the child, setting of clear limits, what is allowed and what is not, and the use of non-violent methods while educating a child, will create balanced (harmonic) and independent children.”

Orientation given by the parents promotes the development of pro-social behavior

Necessary is:

affection and care (commitment) of the parents; appropriate, but effective control (supervision); guidance and positive role models by the parents; participation in the household, instilling a sensee of duty in the children; limitation of malign interaction between the children, promoting of positive (benevolent) interaction; granting of adequate autonomy to the child; securing a positive identification of the child with the adults.

Positive values arise from living relationships

The research attachment shows: conveyance of values is an emotional process; not a rational one. Prerequisite for teaching values and developing a conscience is a reliable relationship (bonding)  to the caring person in the first years of the life. In the course of life the child will integrate the behavior, norms and values of its social environment into its character. Values are emotional anchored abilities, an integral part of the personality, which guide the behaviour in any situation.

Prevention of violence at school

The adults have to take the responsibilty for the situation of the child as a whole, its situation in learning and its social relationships. The teachers and all other citizens have to be supportive. 

Olweus presents a whole catalogue of measures for school, for the class room and for the individual level. This concept of prevention of violence led to a memorable reduction of exertion of direct and indirect violence by 50% in Norway   – even so at the school, in the family setting and also in the surrounding of the school.

Punishment is useful

The American psychologist Ervin Staub condones in his profound book „The Psychology of Good and Evil“ while analysing different studies: Permissivity, a lack of limits and standards or a weak discipline in a group of delinquent juveniles could be attributed to a high level of aggressiveness. (DiLalla, Mitchell, Arthur & Pagliococca, 1988). 

In a permissive setting aggression can be amplified by a lack of consequences (Patterson, 1986, Littman, & Bricker, 1967), because the children learn that aggression pays off. (Buss, 1971). This is especially true for environments where aggression is promoted but not controlled (monitored). Permissivity also means a lack of leadership and causes inefficiency and a weak self-control.

“One of the reasons for the development of aggression is permissivity and a lack of punishment for aggressive behavior.“

In his fundamental book „Kriminologie für das 21 Jahrhundert“ (Criminoloy for the 21. century) (Münster, 2001) Hans Joachim Schneider explains that the depiction of violence in the media is „especially detrimental, if the virtual violence is justified, rewarded or is not punished”.

What is needed?

• Violence has to be stopped; immediate unmistakable intervention, condemnation of the malpractice, deglorification of violence; non-reaction will be interpreted as affirmation.
• Reconciliation: evocation of empathy for the victim, teaching violent pupils, to work on the compensation of psychic trauma and material damage.
• Formation of positive values: to teach the pupils empathy, understanding, sympathy, to take over responsibility for his own acting; getting involved with human rights.
• Violent movies and killer games violate human dignity and have to be banned.

Footers:

1. cf. M. F. Ashley Montagu (Hrsg.): Mensch und Aggression. Weinheim/Basel 1974.
2. Leakey, Richard E./ Lewin, Roger: Wie der Mensch zum Menschen wurde. Hamburg 1978, p. 221
3. cf. UNESCO: Seville Statement on Violence, 1986
4. Selg; Herbert (Hrsg.). Zur Aggression verdammt? An overview about the psychology of aggression. Stuttgart, 1975
5. Bandura, Albert: Aggression   – Eine sozial-lerntheoretische Analyse. Stuttgart 1979, p. 78
6. Bandura, Albert: Aggression   – Eine sozial-lerntheoretische Analyse. Stuttgart 1979, p. 296; Results have been confirmed in a modified experiment of ARD 1975. Vgl. Tausch, R./ Tausch, A.-M.: Erziehungspsychologie. Begegnung von Person zu Person. Göttingen 1977, 8. Aufl, p. 36.
7. Neil Postman: Das Verschwinden der Kindheit
8. Zöpfel, Helmut: Virtuelle Welt oder reales Leben? In: Zeit-Fragen vom 22. 4.02
9. Alliance for Childhood: Fool’s Gold. A Critical Look at Computers in Childhood. Ed. by C. Cordes and E. Miller
10. Lefkowitz, M./ Eron, L. D./ Walder, L. O./ Huesmann, L. R.: Growing up to be violent: A Longitudinal Study of the Development of Aggression. New York/Frankfurt/M. 1977, p. 113
11. cf. ib. S. 114  –127
12. «Mehr Fernsehen, mehr Gewalt» A study confirms the relation between media consumtion and aggression. FAZ, 2002 April 29 = Johnson, Jeffrey G./ Cohen, Patricia/ Smailes, Elisabeth M./ Kasen, Stephanie/ Brook, Judith S.: Television Viewing and Aggressive Behaviour During Adolescence and Adulthood. In: Science 2002 March 29, Bd. 295: 2468  –2471
13. Kleiter, E. F.: Film und Aggression   – Aggressionspsychologie. Weinheim 1997, p.111
14. Grossman, Dave A.: Warum töten wir? Die Zeit, 23 September 99; Grossman, Dave A.: Stop Teaching our Kids to Kill: A Call to Action against TV, Movie and Videogame Violence, New York 1999
15. Glogauer, W.: Gewalthaltige Medien machen Kinder und Jugendliche zu Tätern. In: Kinderärztliche Praxis (2001) Nr. 4; Glogauer W.: Die neuen Medien v0erändern die Kindheit. Weinheim 1998; Glogauer W.: Kriminalisierung von Kindern und Jugendlichen durch Medien. Baden-Baden 1994
16. Olweus, Dan: Gewalt in der Schule. Was Lehrer und Eltern wissen sollten   – und tun können. 2. korrig. Aufl., Bern 1996, p. 48 f.
17. Staub, Ervin: Entwicklung prosozialen Verhaltens. München, Wien, Baltimore 1982, pp. 304  –306. (Positive Social Behaviour and Morality, 1978, Academic Press)
18. Buchholz, A.: Der Beitrag von Psychologie und Pädagogik zur naturrechtlichen Auffassung vom Menschen. In: Mut zur Ethik: Schutz der Familie und der heranwachsenden Jugend. II. Kongress 1994; Buchholz, A.: Personale Psychologie   – Der Beitrag von Psychologie und Pädagogik zur Menschenwürde. In: Mut zur Ethik: Die Würde des Menschen. V. Kongress 1997
19. Hanewinkel R./ Knaack, R.: Prävention von Aggression und Gewalt an Schulen. In: Holtappels, H. G./ Heitmeyer, W./ Melzer, W./ Tillmann, K. J. (Hrsg.): Forschung über Gewalt an Schulen. Erscheinungsformen und Ursachen, Konzepte und Prävention. Weinheim, München 1999, p. 303; ­Olweus, Dan: Täter-Opfer-Probleme in der Schule: Erkenntnisstand und Interventionsprogramm. In: ebd., pp. 291 ff.
20. Staub, Ervin, Psychology of Good and Evil, Cambridge 1999.
21. Schneider, Hans Joachim: Kriminologie für das 21. Jahrhundert, Münster 2001, S. 146.

Source:
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