ok guys im working on an english essay and i just want to know what you think and shit.
the introduction sucks (im really bad at writing intros) and i dont have a conclusion yet, but i want to know if you have any suggestions. im nervous because our grade consists of only essays and i dont want to fail.
one more note. this is not a persuasive essay, its a descriptive essay about something we notice in society. that means no emotions or personal opinions in it.
Social science researchers, politicians, courts, and legal scholars have become prominent contributors to research, legislation, and debate regarding what causes violence in our youth. With highly publicized school shootings in the past two decades, this issue has been put under increased scrutiny. While it is likely that childhood violence is too complicated to point to one single determining factor, advancements in research attempt to explain the apparent rise in juvenile violence; among them are violence in the media, and single-parent homes.
The media has been targeted for the corruption of our youth for quite some time now; but what type of effect, specifically, does it have? Many researchers accept that violent imagery in the media, including angry rock or hiphop lyrics, mature rated video games, or disturbing scenes during a movie, cause an increase in aggressive behavior. Not only that, it could teach the child that this is somehow normal behavior, or even add an element of 'coolness' to it. Bruce D. Bartholow of The Department of Psychological Sciences hypothesized that long term exposure to this violence could, "produce changes in brain activity associated with desensitization," (Bartholow 1) which could possibly lead to an increase in aggression. The brain activity that was focused on in his study, Bartholow, Bushman, & Sestir, was the P300 response which reflects the emotional content of an image. It was found that subjects who play violent video games show diminished brain responses in the P300 component when viewing images of real life violence, relative to subjects who have little exposure to violent video games. It may or may not be true that there is a correlation between weaker P300 responses and actually committing violence. John Freeman, a psychologist from the University of Toronto notes, "we habituate to any kind of stimulus." (Helen 1) While this may be true, this is only one contributing factor in the overall picture.
Another factor is the lack of a father in a child's life. Fathers and mothers tend to raise kids differently. Mothers are more verbal with their children and tend to encourage safety and cautiousness while fathers are more physical and foucs more on their childs independance and rule establishment governing their behavior. Not to say that one parent contributes more than the other when it comes to the upbringing of a child, but when it comes to violence, fathers play a significant role. President of the National Fatherhood Initiative postulates that, "it is through boys’ observation of the way their fathers deal with frustration, anger, and sadness that they learn how men should cope with such emotions" (Horn 1). He goes on to draw these same parallels in how a father treats his wife and his own mother. What should we expect if growing up without a father becomes the norm for children in the United States? Statistics provided by the Department of Health and Human Services may give us an idea of what to expect. 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home (Fulton Co. Georgia jail populations, Texas Dept. of Corrections) and 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes (Criminal Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26). These are startling statistics to say the least. Maybe if parents spent more time with their children, teaching them right from wrong, and teaching them the distinction between reality and fantasy, the perceived threat of violence in the media wouldn't be such an issue?
i also have a source cited page
Bartholow, Bruce D., ed. Violent Cues for Aggression. University of Missouri, Web. 08 June 2007. http://web.missouri.edu/~bartholowb/research-aggression-cues.html Phillips, Helen, ed. Violent video games alter brain's response to violence. Quote from John Freeman, University of Toronto, Canada, Web. December 2005 http://www.newscientist.com/ article/dn8449-violent-video-games-alter-brains-response-to-violence.html Horn, Wade F., ed. Why There Is No Substitute for Parents. Director, National Fatherhood Initiative. Web. June 1997. http://198.109.220.40/news/imprimis/archive/issue.asp?year=1997&month=06 Statistics on fatherlessness: Fatherless Homes Now Proven Beyond Doubt Harmful To Children. Department of Health and Human Services, Web. 1999 http://www.fathermag.com/ news/2778-stats.shtml
