Media Violence and Aggression

No topic in communication has been more heavily investigated than media violence and its effect on aggression. Perhaps this is because the topic evokes concern and is often linked with poignant and traumatic events. With such a tumultuous background, the best we can do is use the objectivity that science affords us to identify the extent to which media violence is a risk factor for aggression (and for whom), in order to identify routes for intervention. This chapter attempts to do just that by outlining the historical and theoretical underpinnings of the field, and suggesting steps for the years ahead.