01.09.2006 Social violence and tolerance: reality and media images

Violence, extremism always were a part of the life of any society and any person, its external component. Violence is everywhere. Violence - is universal. Pedagogic, sex, commercials, family lives – all this includes violence. The analysis of the materials received during researches, lead by Independent Institute of Communication, shows the following: though the majority of Russians basically do not approve non-tolerate behavior and even negatively concern to the facts of unmotivated aggression, but at the same time almost 30% of our citizens do not see anything bad in this kind of behavior. Besides it is necessary to ascertain, that, not approving such behavior basically, many of our fellow citizens (from 33 % up to 42 %) often themselves make such non-tolerate acts. They understand their incompatibility with rules of human life, but simultaneously consider, that they are compelled so to act in the certain situation - and consequently have the right on it. Thus the level of unmotivated aggression in relation to representatives of other nations and nationalities is high enough.
Supporters of political extremism and xenophobia, nationalism, chauvinism, anti-Semitism usually use it. Dozens of militarized extremist organizations operate in the country, hundreds newspapers, books, brochures, leaflets in which national, religious and social problems are published. Also we can see the psychological preparation justifying application of violence in them, which purpose - overthrow of lawfully selected authority and an establishment in the country of the "national-focused" mode is also conducted. According to sociologists, the ideology of national chauvinism finds, unfortunately, frank support not only at the certain part of the population, but also among workers of machinery of state, military men, employees of law enforcement bodies. The unpunished propagation calling for exile of "foreigners" from Russia is actively conducted. Consequence of this propagation which is not receiving due counteraction, distribution of xenophobia and also concrete criminal-terrorist actions is: explosions, rumbles, certificates of physical violence, posters with the offensive slogans calling for violence over migrants and representatives of other races. In a press it is now common to flash the term "criminalization of the adults". Inform on menacing rates of growth of children's and teenage criminality. It is possible to ascertain, that our society nowadays is unaware of this terrible phenomenon. The family, school, church, the children's organizations turn out to be absolutely powerless. Certainly, this dangerous tendency of strengthening violence, of strengthening violence over youth is peculiar far not to only Russia and not only to the countries experiencing the period of social and valuable shifts. It is inherent also in quite safe societies. However in other countries it became an object of steadfast attention of social workers, politicians which in the long-term strategy lean on a solid layer of the development lead by sociologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, teachers and philosophers a long time ago.
History of the XX Century has shown us, that among the common reasons of violence rather new ones have appeared, which are connected with influence on consciousness and behavior of people by means of mass-media. Experts argue on the role of mass-media in creation of that public atmosphere in which there is much of terrorism. Here again it is necessary to ascertain, that this public climate is rather favorable for terrorism, that also promotes its distribution. It is necessary to include the TV, it is not so important where exactly - in New York, Rome or Moscow, - and infinite insurgents fall upon you: shots, blood, planes are hijacked, hostages suffer, and the "bad guys" battle to death with the "good guys". It is now more than 15/20 years that the policeman, the spy and the romantic robber are heroes of our time, shown on the screen. These thrillers are awarded with film-premiums, sometimes even with the "Oscars". Aggression, violence penetrate modern show business literally. The researches carried out last years, concerning problems reflection of violence over mass-media, have established, that there is a bound between the level of violence over mass-media and the level of violence over a society. In 1969 the National commission of the USA on investigation of the reasons and prevention of violence has drawn a conclusion that severe films teach people to achieve the purposes by means of violence. One of the leading world researchers of aggression Leonard Berkovitz has proved, that in 1975, after the attempt on the life of the president Ford about which it was in detail told in mass-media, the number of the threats which have come to address of the president, has grown in 150%. Similar histories occur when mass-media inform on serial murders. Berkovitz considers, that news about violent events and corresponding films can wake cruelty in some people. In 1975 psychologists Layence and Camino (Belgium) have carried out the following research: one group of teens during five days watched violent severe films, another group - the neutral ones. The first group became more aggressive and even tried to attack each other, and the second behaved as they did before. Wendy Wood has come with the similar results in 1991. "The image of violence over mass-media, - she says, - influences the level of aggression of any person". Berkovitz gives this phenomenon the following explanation: when people collide with a certain stimulus or event, it influences them, the idea itself. For example, if one person is suggested to make the sentence of "aggressive" words (“gun”, “to shoot”, "to attack" and so forth), and another - from some words of neutral value, the first one after this experiment will show the raised level of aggression. Simply speaking, he or she will think of guns, murders, impacts and attacks. But even extremely aggressive film will not provoke ideas strengthening aggression and motor reactions if the violence in it will be submitted as something disgusting and condemned. The same concerns simple TV broadcasts. News about the murderer, sentenced to life imprisonment is capable to lead to short-term recession of a level of murders in the country. The probability of occurrence of aggressive ideas at the spectator decreases, if it is not too involved in a plot, realizing, that it only cinema. Of course, adult people can operate the consciousness, but what about children… They do not understand, that all this is not for sure. According to Berkovitz, children from poor families are less inclined to realize, that the cinema is only a fiction and consequently they can be exposed to greater influence of television aggression. The majority of the Russian children grow in poor families…
Television aggression not only provokes real cruelty, it teaches to concern to it as to something normal and natural. Children, who have looked aggressive film, take the present fight more indifferently, than those who did not see film, and do not try to interfere. The same reaction has been found out in students. "Excessively frequent display of violence on TV, - psychologists Thomas and Horthon say, - can cause that the population will get used more to violence". It turns out, that people look severe films, and in memory at them corresponding scripts of behavior are postponed. Especially if heroes achieve the, but do not receive punishment. American psychiatrist D.Habbart has interrogated hundreds plane hijackers - and almost all of them spoke about an influence of mass-media and films on their minds. In 1979 there was a demonstration in one of the American cinemas of gangster films "Night Parkways" and "Warriors". They excited teenagers so much, that they have opened shooting, having killed 8 and having wounded 5 people. Still there are a lot of such examples. It is enough to look at present Russia where fans and skinheads have been brought up in an atmosphere of violence on TV screens. The role of mass-media, which compete among themselves in sensational submission of the information on acts of terrorism, is similar. Journalists refer to a principle of objectivity and on a duty to give to people the vital facts. A famous American author L.Martin writes, that in a basis of all this lays a pursuit of a high rating. As a result – mass-media, probably, that not realizing it itself, work on terrorists, creating publicity. The commercial success at any cost leads mass-media to free or involuntary propagation of terrorism. Thus, to traditional explanations of sources of violence were added new, specifying that there are forms of violence which have no the visible social and economic reasons. These forms become especially significant in conditions of an information society. The analysis shows, that becomes frequent the reason of these conflicts the certain information hidden from eyes which pushes to application of mass violence. Such latent information can arise spontaneously, as the certain prejudice perceived by public consciousness, as true not demanding proofs. But it can be formed and quite purposefully, to result from mastering of the certain ideological postulates. The mass-media of Russia, easily speak about the problem of violence, over the basic about cruelty from which participants of violent actions finish with each other. Certainly, all it leads to that the mass consciousness is not adjusted at all on struggle against violence, and on the contrary, starts or to perceive it as a natural element of a life, or to admire with violence. Special interest of mass-media is caused with mass forms of violence - who would not make them, than and as though did not motivate. Terrorists, the football fans, revolting students long since are favorite heroes of news materials. Besides on people operate not only images of violence, but also specific language of enmity to which use mass-media, describing even quite peace situations. Aggressive reaction of a significant share of the population is caused with a sexism and a sensuality, youth slang and aggressive advertising. Certainly, value of mass-media in promotion of norms of aggressive behavior of people does not need to be exaggerated. Many researchers consider, that a high level of violence, characteristic for modern television production and cinema, presumably, alongside with other factors, can render the influence on realization of some kinds of aggressive behavior, but it is not necessary to overestimate importance of this dependence. Easier speaking, the violence over the screen is not primary motivation of aggressive behavior. By the way, in due time, being based on the extensive research material, the similar conclusion has made I.S.Kon concerning a pornography. Other researchers believe, that reaction on read through, heard or seen depends on interpretation of the received message. In essence, influence of mass-media speaks for activization of memoirs. In other words, the violence over mass-media can cause corresponding ideas. In turn, these ideas can cause concrete emotions and behavioral reactions. And there is all it almost automatically. Hence, it is necessary, that the journalists defining the basic set of images broadcast through mass-media and judgments, at least, were familiar with modern understanding of a problematic of violence. Also it would be good, if journalists understood the role in cultivating that terrorist environment in which all to us should live because of specific interpretation by some mass-media of the professional and social duties.

Joseph Dzyaloshinskij