Professor Lee

English 114A 24
November 2015

Questioning Media Violence with Violent Acts

Is there a link between violent media images and these recurring acts of mass killings in
society? The answer to that question may not be so straight forward. It is already evident that
violent media is linked to increased hostility, however there is no straight evidence to suggest
that such violent medias are linked to the recent senseless crimes committed by those who have
been declared psychotic. Violence in the media is not responsible for the production of

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:47 PM

Comment [1]:
Nice title

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:48 PM

Comment [2]:
It refers to...?
I suggest reworking this sentence so you
don't start with it

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:49 PM

Comment [3]:
Do you have specific events in mind?

continuous brutality in the real world. Violent images in films, games, comics, and even
cartoons have long been blamed as the main perpetrators for inspiring mass shootings and other
atrocities committed by individuals despite constant research illustrating how little to if any
connection one another have. Many choose to point fingers at media entertainment instead of
understanding that the violence is ultimately activated through hostile/unresolved personal
emotions, involvement in traumatic events, and constant exposure to real world violence.

Mankind's deepest and even darkest emotions can influence any human being to act out of
self suppression and toxic aggressions. Anger for as long as anyone can remember has always been
apart of natural born human emotion and it has complete capability to drive any individual to act on
a violent impulse. People are often challenged with feelings of frustration, rage, and disappointment
with those around them including government officials, friends, and family. While most are able to
contain their emotions, others with the inability to control a temper are not as easily tamed and

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:49 PM

Comment [4]:
Love this sentence

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:50 PM

Comment [5]:
Nice job here. I think this is an interesting
take on the prompt.

well likely influenced to turn to violent behavior as a solution to the problem. For example, in
the article Emotion Regualtion and Aggression, Roberton, Daffern, and Bucks argue that
violence is taking an extreme toll on society, however it is not in the hands of the media to take
complete responsibility for adolescents difficulty regulating (their) anger and
sadness(Roberton, T, M Daffern, and RS Bucks). No one will ever truly obliterate the
aggression built up within themselves or the media, that is unfound of. As long as human beings
are around, so will the violence amongst them. It is not the media provoking violent behavior,
but humankind itself. Emotions are what make human beings human, if younger adolescents
begin to lock away unresolved feelings and emotions the consequences ahead could be deadly.
Society views ones emotions as something which should be hidden in order to show strength
and bravery not realizing that deadly emotions and unresolved feelings can enlist in violent
chaos. According to the article Corticolimbic Function in Impulsive Aggressive Behavior,
Coccaro, Sripada, and Phan demonstrate that studies have shown the effects of serotonin on
impulsive aggression are, in part, mediated by disregarding unsettled emotions (Coccaro,
Sripada, and Phan). Emotions can be so painful when hidden that once one is unable to contain
its power they can be impossible to control, resulting in rageful acts. There is no solid evidence
to prove that violent media is to blame when it comes to recent acts of brutality, society forces
adolescents to revert from accessing natural born human emotions never realizing the mental
damage and depression it brings a person. Mental damage can bring such severity that it allows
individuals to follow any and all violent emotions.

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:51 PM

Comment [6]:
Last names only
Roberton, Daffern, and Bucks

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:52 PM

Comment [7]:
? Confusing sentence. What are you
saying here? Rephrase.
Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:52 PM
Comment [8]:
and if
Jennifer Lee 12/15/2015 11:37 AM
Comment [9]:
I feel like there should be a break
somewhere and this seems like the best
place.
I feel like you are arguing two sides of the
same coin so you might want to reword the
topic sentence here to reflect that while
human nature is prone to violence,
society's need to hide that makes the
situation worse.
It is not violent media but human nature
and society's tendency to mask it.

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:54 PM

Comment [10]:
its
Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:55 PM
Comment [11]:
Run on
Separate into 2 or use a conjunction with
comma

In addition to unresolved and hostile emotions influencing violent behavior, traumatic

events can include everything from physical to sexual abuse, neglect, bullying, and domestic

violence. Studies show individuals exposed to such trauma can potentially bring about life
threatening and psychological violent actions. Bullying being one of the main sources to

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:56 PM

Comment [12]:
true but remember that your argument is
that it can lead to violent behavior.

future violent behavior has the ability to humiliate, terrorize, and hurt younger adolescents.
These highly influential issues have the greatest chance to activate any and all deadly
aggressions within a person who experiences such disturbing feelings. According to the
article Making the links: Violence, trauma and mental health, constant research has proven
a strong link between trauma and violence. A study found that if the symptoms from
traumatic events are not recognized, individual are faced with an increased risk for brutality
and suicide(Violence Trauma and Mental Health). The effects of traumatic events create a
heavy burden on all individuals who endure such disturbing experiences. Those experiences
in turn become the life altering triggers to violence resulting in deaths, and psychological
behaviors.

Furthermore, another risk known to initiate violence is the real world itself. The world is
surrounded by constant forms of violence whether in the streets, between countries, or between
the people itself. Society has lived through countless events involving brutality through mass
shootings, wars, murders, and terrorism. Violence in the media is the least of societies problems.
According to the article Video Games Dont Trigger Aggression in Adults, Kirstin Fawcett
argues that We need to be more careful when horrific events happen, not to blame violent video

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:58 PM

Comment [13]:
Why and how? You jumped a few ideas I
think.
Why does trauma lead to more violence?
How come people from abusive homes
turn abusive themselves? Explain.,

games, films, comics, and so forth(Fawcett). Violent media is not connected to the mass
shootings that have recently taken place, people as a society are focusing on the wrong issues.
Media entertainment has become the easy target to terrorize when it comes to trying to
understand what really triggers such violent act and behaviors. While violent media has no real

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:58 PM

Comment [14]:
Why?

connection to violent behavior, the truth is that more than 1% of the population lives life with a
mental illness whether through schizophrenia or severe depression. That percentage of
individuals pose great threat to being persuaded and forced into believing that the violence seen
in media can become a reality. Atrocities such as the Colorado movie theater and Sandy Hook
shootings it is evident that those suffering from mental insanity are well likely to be affected by
violent images in the media, music, and video games.

To conclude, its easy to blame violent media as the main cause to some of the most
devastating atrocities committed by young adolescents because society refuses to acknowledge
its own faults in the matter. Parents have become concerned about the environment being
passed on to their children because they believe violence in the media is responsible for the
worlds aggressive behavior without realizing that emotions, trauma, and the world itself play an
enormous part when it comes to violent behavior. Emotions alter personalities, and personalities
alter actions, and through those brutal actions the media is forced to deal with the blame pushed
against them. Traumatic events have the greatest ability to trigger acts of aggression resulting in
deadly consequences, and continuous exposure to the violence occurring in the real world such
as war and terrorism are too apart of the constant triggers of violent behavior. If watching

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:58 PM

Comment [15]:
is evidence
Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:59 PM
Comment [16]:
Again, rethink your focus here.
You want to prove that these violent
behaviors were not solely triggered by
violent media right?
Emphasize the point that these people
were sick/unwell/not normal.

Jennifer Lee 11/29/2015 3:59 PM

Comment [17]:
it is

violent media was able to provoke psychological and criminal violence, people as a whole
would all be murderers.

Karine,
Great draft and fluidity as usual. Are you missing a counterargument paragraph? You
need to have a paragraph exploring the role that media might play in violent behavior (since you
use that counter in your thesis). Explain why the media could be responsible then end that
paragraph by bringing the essay back to your argument.
Your comfort and use of quotes has definitely improved! The only thing I am concerned
with is your focus when you are explaining/analyzing/connecting. I suggest you constantly
remind yourself what your thesis is - you need to bring everything back to violent media and
violent behavior ...how what you are currently writing about factors in MORE than the media.