Two U.S. surgeons general have publicly supported the position that excessive exposure to media violence can trigger aggressive behavior. The American Medical Association, the American Pediatric Association, the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, and the American Psychological Association have taken similar positions. The psychologists, psychiatrists, and physicians of these associations are not the only people to speak out against the amount of screen violence available to youth. Reactions against the rising tide of violence on television and in the movies have come from all walks of society and the entire political spectrum. Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, surgeons general, police organizations, parent groups, and the American Psychological Association are just a few of the individuals and groups who have publicly deplored the level of violence in popular entertainment.

How violence is depicted on the screen

On the...