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The Effects of Violent and Antisocial Music on Children and Adolescents
Abstract
Stripping away the hype, this book describes how, when, and why media violence can influence children of different ages, giving parents and teachers the power to maximize the media's benefits and minimize its harm.
There are many opinions about media violence and children, but not all are supported by science. In this book, the top experts gather the latest results from 50 years of scientific study as the basis for a comprehensive, in-depth examination of the complex issues surrounding the effects of media violence of different types. Each chapter focuses on a particular issue of concern, including "hot" topics such as brain development, cyber-bullying, video games, and verbal aggression. Articles take into account factors such as economics, differences based on the ages of children, and differences between types of media violence.
This book provides the information parents and those who work with families need to make the best choices. It includes chapters specifically relevant to the types of bullying schools have the most trouble identifying and controlling. Most importantly, the writing is both intelligent and accessible so that parents, educators, pediatricians, and policymakers can understand and apply the findings presented.
... In 2016, it was reported that music is the preferred media outlet of teens, with 66% reporting listening to music daily (Rideout, 2017). Advances in current technology have made music more readily accessible and geographic distance irrelevant in distribution and dissemination of music (Sen, 2010;Warburton, Roberts, & Christensen, 2014;Whelan, 2010). ...
... Research in this area has demonstrated that interaction with music has not only changed in modality but also in frequency, moving from exposure via music videos and MTV (Christenson, 1992, Kaestle et al., 2007Kaiser Family Foundation, 2003) to downloading, streaming, or viewing music videos on the Internet (Australian Communications and Media Authority, 2010;. Advances in technology have made music more readily accessible and geographic distance irrelevant in distribution and dissemination of music (Sen, 2010;Warburton et al., 2014;Whelan, 2010). ...
... In the last two decades, there has been an increase in the availability and popularity of music with themes that approve sexual violence (Warburton, 2012(Warburton, , 2014Warburton et al., 2014). This trend is most notable in the growing popularity and mainstreaming of rap music, a genre where lyrics approving sexual violence are more common. ...
... In recent decades music featuring violent lyrics and/or which has an aggressive musical tone has become more accessible, more popular, and, in some cases, more mainstream (Christenson et al., 2019;Warburton et al., 2014;Warburton, 2012Warburton, , 2014Whelan, 2010). ...
... Early research has provided some indicative findings, although as noted by Anderson et al. (2003) and Warburton et al. (2014), there have also been problems around methodology such as poor lyrical clarity, confounding issues around accompanying videos, and poor stimulus matching for characteristics such as arousal. Nonetheless, some of these early findings are suggestive of lyrics effects. ...
Although there is a large research base on the psychological impacts of violent and prosocial visual media, there is little research addressing the impacts of violent and prosocial music, and which facets of the music have the greatest impact. Four experiments tested the impact of lyrics and/or musical tone on aggressive and prosocial behavior, and on underlying psychological processes, using purpose‐built songs to avoid the effect of music‐related confounds. In study one, where mildly aggressive, overtly aggressive and violent lyrics were compared to neutral lyrics, any level of lyrical aggression caused an increase in behavioral aggression, which plateaued for all three aggression conditions. Violent lyrics were better recalled than other lyrics one week later. In studies two‐three no significant effects of lyrics, or of aggressive versus nonaggressive musical tone, were found on aggressive or prosocial behavior. In terms of internal states, violent lyrics increased hostility/hostile cognitions in all studies, and negatively impacted affective state in three studies. Prosocial lyrics decreased hostility/hostile cognitions in three studies, but always in tandem with another factor. Aggressive musical tone increased physiological arousal in two studies and increased negative affect in one. In study four those who listened to violent lyrics drove more aggressively on a simulated drive that included triggers for aggression. Overall, violent lyrics consistently elicited hostility/hostile cognitions and negative affect, but these did not always translate to aggressive behavior. Violent music seems more likely to elicit behavioral aggression when there are aggression triggers and a clear way to aggress. Implications are discussed.
... Music is among the most commonly consumed media worldwide (Schäfer et al., 2012;Rideout et al., 2010;Upadhyay et al., 2017;Warburton et al., 2014). People listen to music for enjoyment, but also engage with music to fulfil psychosocial needs and desires. ...
... Extreme metal bands have been banned from selling and performing their music in multiple countries and have had their music blamed for childhood suicides (Michaels, 2018;Moore, 1996). Such concerns are reinforced by research on the psychological impact of violent media (for reviews see Anderson & Bushman, 2001;2002;Bushman, 2016;Warburton et al., 2014), despite there being some ambiguity in the interpretation of evidence supporting deleterious psychological effects (e.g., Ferguson, 2007). ...
Extreme metal and rap music with violent themes are sometimes blamed for eliciting antisocial behaviours, but growing evidence suggests that music with violent themes can have positive emotional, cognitive, and social consequences for fans. We addressed this apparent paradox by comparing how fans of violent and non-violent music respond emotionally to music. We also characterised the psychosocial functions of music for fans of violent and non-violent music, and their passion for music. Fans of violent extreme metal (n=46), violent rap (n=49), and non-violent classical music (n=50) responded to questionnaires evaluating the cognitive (self-reflection, self-regulation) and social (social bonding) functions of their preferred music and the nature of their passion for it. They then listened to four one-minute excerpts of music and rated ten emotional descriptors for each excerpt. The top five emotions reported by the three groups of fans were positive, with empowerment and joy the emotions rated highest. However, compared with classical music fans, fans of violent music assigned significantly lower ratings to positive emotions and higher ratings to negative emotions. Fans of violent music also utilised their preferred music for positive psychosocial functions to a similar or sometimes greater extent than classical fans. Harmonious passion for music predicted positive emotional outcomes for all three groups of fans, whereas obsessive passion predicted negative emotional outcomes. Those high in harmonious passion also tended to use music for cognitive and social functions. We propose that fans of violent music use their preferred music to induce an equal balance of positive and negative emotions.
... It is medium that plays a powerful role in the construction of social reality. This is because advancement is multimedia and information and communication technologies (ICTs) have made music more readily accessible by bridging the distance between music distribution and dissemination (Sen, 2010;Warburton, Roberts, & Christensen, 2014;Whelan, 2010). ...
This research examined the influence of sensuous musical videos on the sexual orientation of students at the National Open University of Nigeria, Benin Study Centre. The researcher intended to establish the different effects of sensuous musical videos on students and how they influence sexual orientation among Nigerian youngsters. Anchored on the Social Learning and Cultivation Analysis Theories, survey research design that employed quantitative research method was employed. Questionnaire was employed as research instrument, and 209 copies of the questionnaire were sampled on respondents. The research findings show that most respondents who participated in this study watch musical videos, which have a significant effect on their sexual orientation as well as their sexuality. This is because the respondents are young and active members of society who are ardent consumers of mainstream media contents and see the artistes and celebrities as role models and idols, hence their significant level of exposure. It was also found that due to the rate of exposure to musical videos, viewers are invariably influenced to fantasize about the streams of endless images projected into their minds, even for dramatization and special effects. Hence the influence it had on their sexual orientation. Given the findings of this study, it is recommended that negative sexual behaviour and dispositions learned by students from musical videos be unlearned through well-designed programmes of sexuality education. It is also recommended that the National Film and Videos Censors Board (NFVCB) be equipped to monitor Nigerian stations that air these musical videos and place heavy sanctions on them.
... The rapid and widespread changes in media over recent decades are driven by new technology that has drastically changed how information is produced, distributed, and consumed (Alvermann & Hagood, 2000;Hobbs & Jensen, 2009). For example, these technological advances have made music, which is the preferred media of teens and young people (Rideout, 2017) and connected to youth culture (North et al., 2000), highly accessible to consumers from all demographics, regardless of location (Warburton et al., 2014). Previous research has suggested that children and young people are heavy music consumers and that this consumption increases with age (Christenson & Peterson, 1998;Gonzalez de Rivas et al., 2009;Kaestle et al., 2007). ...
... For consumers of all ages, advances in technology have made music more readily accessible and geographic distance irrelevant in its distribution (Warburton, Roberts, & Christensen, 2014). In addition, media actively construct reality for many consumers, rather than simply transmitting it (Rodesiler, 2010). ...
Advances in technology have made music more readily accessible and geographic distance irrelevant in dissemination of music. Greater access to popular music has resulted in greater consumption by both children and adolescents. Popular music in the United States may contain the most sexual content, compared with other forms of media. Exposure to such content is associated with the development of gender ideals and identity, objectification and sexualization of women, permissive sexual attitudes and risky sexual behaviors, as well as greater acceptance of sexual and gendered violence. Even so, current education standards do not include media literacy, much less popular music media literacy, and do not prepare children for best practices related to media consumption. Some of the inadequacies in current education standards include introducing education about media influence on personal development at an age far later than children’s engagement with contemporary media, avoidance of controversial topics, and not making this education compulsory. Considering the lack of media literacy provided in the curriculum, we outline specific foundational curricular recommendations related to media education and specifically for popular music media literacy.
This theoretical review explores the possibility that the consumption of internet pornography (IP) represents a credible risk factor in the perpetration of aggression and violence against women. Sexual violence, abuse, and degradation of women is commonly depicted in mainstream heterosexual IP. Despite the violent tenor, the effect this material may have on beliefs, attitudes and behaviors is understudied, as are the reasons why violent and degrading IP is so widely viewed, enjoyed, and accepted. Both theory and empirical findings support the contention that depictions of violence in IP may contribute to real world aggression and violence against women, with two relevant spheres of inquiry proposed in this theoretical review. The first considers IP as a ‘zone of cultural exception’, in which the perpetration of violent and degrading acts against women are eroticized and celebrated, despite such behaviors being considered antisocial in wider society. It is suggested that this excepted status is enabled by the operation of the third person effect to negate the detrimental effects of IP. The second explores the objectification and dehumanization of women in IP and the use of moral disengagement by viewers to enable their disavowal of any harm in the depicted violence.
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