Although the United States is an industrialized nation, our homicide rate is significantly high in comparison to other progressive nations. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the homicide rate doubled from the mid 1960's to the late 1970's. There was a peak in the 1980’s at 10.2 per 100,000, which declined in 1984 to 7.9 per 100,000. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s the rate of homicide began to rise, which lead to another peak in 1991 of 9.8 per 100,000. From 1992 to 2000, the homicide rate declined tremendously and has since remained stable (Fox & Zawitz, 1999). The national homicide rate for 2011 was 4.8 per 100,000 (Tucker 2012). Although this statistic indicates a substantial decrease in the United States homicide rate, this percentage is still relatively high in comparison to other industrialized nations, particularly those in Western Europe (Wilson & Petersilia, 2011). I blame the media for our nation’s high homicide rate; the overwhelming amount of violence that is promoted and glamorized on television and in video games, has a signifcant impact many violent acts t acts that are especially .
Research on violent television and films, video games, and music reveals unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts. The effects appear larger for milder than for more severe forms of aggression, but the effects on severe forms of violence are also substantial (r = .13 to .32) when compared with effects of other violence risk factors or medical effects deemed important by the medical community (e.g., effect of aspirin on heart attacks). The research base is large; diverse in methods, samples, and media genres; and consistent in overall findings. The evidence is clearest within the most extensively researched domain, television and film violence. The