Interpersonal Violence in Media Normalizes Aggressive Behavior
Interpersonal violence, which includes physical, sexual, and domestic violence, can be explained with several positivist theories. While interpersonal violence, in person, can create a cycle for future violence for the perpetrator and the victim, the violence from media sources may normalize aggression.
The research by Mrug, Madan, Cook, and Wright shows that regularly experiencing interpersonal violence results in “emotional and physiological desensitization characterized by diminished emotional distress and empathy, as well as reduced emotional and physiological reactivity to further violence.”
While media violence has less of an effect than real-life violence, Mrug, Madan, Cook, and Wright believe that younger viewers are the most affected, and extremely violent media forms are more likely to cause desensitization.
Society, directly and indirectly, encourages interpersonal violence through the creative expressions of violent behavior that is publicized in the media and entertainment industries.
Amerikan Beauty
Music can be used to express deviant behaviors that involve interpersonal violence. HED P.E. is an underground band with a niche following that is infamous for lyrics that involve sexual violence, aggression, and drugs which are expressed through multiple fused genres that include heavy metal, hardcore punk, ska, hip hop, and reggae.
One of the band’s most offensive albums, to date, is Only in Amerika, and it features a song titled “Amerikan Beauty” where the subject matter pertains to an adult male having rough sexual intercourse with teenage girls. For example, part of the song describes a sex scene:
I’ma slap your little ass / Til it turns black and blue / Now ya put on these heels / And ya arch your back / And I’ma crack ya ass in half / With my eight inch staff.
The song begins with a hip hop beat, but it quickly becomes heavy metal, and the sounds switch between both genres — heavy metal is used especially when the lyrics are most violent. Besides the mention of rape and lack of care towards the age of consent, further emphasis is added to the sexually violent nature of the song with a few growls and screaming.
While the artist does not command the listener to specifically hurt anyone, the band does normalize sexual violence for the listener.
Sexual Violence in Music
Certain positivist theories can explain the violent behavior that is stated in “American Beauty.” When it comes to physical violence, both external restraint theory and subculture of violence can be applied to sexual violence; the members of the band may be frustrated enough to inflict pain onto others while they may come from a subculture that approves and promotes rape.
According to researchers Thio, Taylor, and Schwartz, psychological theory, social-psychological theory, and feminist theory may explain the sexual violence that HED P.E.’s music is known for because there may be sexual inadequacies that resulted in rape fantasies, frustration from being rejected in a sexually liberated society, and rape that is meant to intimidate and dominate women in order to feel powerful or to get even.
There is not enough information about the band’s background, but social learning theory, stress theory, and exchange theory may apply if there has been family violence. A lack of stress management, any learned behavior as a child, and receiving more pleasure than punishment for violence can explain their expressed behavior.
The members of HED P.E. may have been raised in an aggressive environment which has resulted in observable violently sexual behavior that is not normal.
Herbert the Pervert
In the last couple of decades, adult animation has highlighted the hypocrisy of society through humor. One of these TV shows is Family Guy, and it features a character known as Herbert the Pervert who is the neighborhood pedophile. Herbert has a tendency to stalk Chris — a teenage character who is naïve and oblivious to most things which includes Herbert’s advances and schemes.
For example, a clip shows Chris singing “So I’ll be your friend,” and Herbert finishes the song, while spying on Chris, “And I’ll be your lover.”
Another scene involves Herbert, with a walker, running after two boys barely able to continue pedaling on their bikes while another scene has Herbert inviting Chris to his cellar for popsicles. What makes the character disturbing, besides the pedophilia, is how frail he seems physically and how sweet and inviting his voice happens to be.
This TV series does not promote child molestation, but it injects enough humor into the situations that involve Herbert and children that it lessens the severity of pedophilia — especially Herbert’s attempts to physically force himself onto less than willing adolescents and children.
Sexual Violence in TV Show
Herbert’s troubling sexual behavior can be clarified with several positivist theories. Herbert’s behavior can be explained with external restraint theory and subculture of violence if more was known about his background other than his past with the military. As far as what is known, any physical violence he is still willing to commit may have to do with frustration he feels in his old age, and the war culture or a subculture he was part of in his youth may have influenced him.
Feminist theory does not apply to Herbert because he is a man interested in boys, but psychological theory and social-psychological theory do explain his sexual behavior since he is a homosexual who can only relate to adolescents, and he may have been rejected by enough women or men that he feels frustrated by his inadequacies — typical of a sexually permissive society.
The video clip does not give a look into Herbert’s family history, but if there was family violence, the research by Thio, Taylor, and Schwartz can explain how social learning theory, stress theory, and exchange theory play a role. Herbert’s family may have continued a cycle of learned abuse, financial stress, and a lack of punishment may have influenced his behavior.
Herbert’s predatorial sexual behavior may be due to his upbringing which has resulted in unconventional actions that are easily observable.
Conclusion
Personally, I do feel that the media does contribute to interpersonal violence. The scenes in the video clip of Herbert and the song by HED P.E. are harmful to society, especially the less wealthy and educated, because they may choose to express their frustrations with life in similar violent fashions.
The lyrics can teach a child inappropriate grammar while an adolescent may learn that adolescent girls deserve to be raped and used only for sexual intercourse by older men. The TV show can teach a child and adolescent that it’s entertaining to be chased by a predatorial man as long as he is friendly and offers snacks.
Neither of these media examples showed murder, but rape and molestation can result in the death of the victims.
As stated by Herrenkohl and Jung, once violence or aggression has been established, it can become a cycle since children who suffer abuse are two times as likely to physically hurt others and be arrested for at least one violent crime as adults.
Herrenkohl and Jung explain that re-victimization is another likelihood since the risk increases for being “robbed, attacked with a weapon, or raped or sexually assaulted,” especially by romantic partners.
While the media and entertainment industry may not have the intent to promote sexual and physical violence, the mass circulation of violent sounds and images does normalize violent behavior.
