This study finds that the only question on which groups differed in their opinions was whether media violence was a major factor in producing real-life violence: parents and pediatricians agreed that it was. Although a few vocal researchers claim there is a “debate” on this issue, the overwhelming majority of researchers believe that violent media increase aggression in children, and that the relationship is causal.
Twenty-one scientists from around the world, including Australia’s Wayne Warburton (Macquarie University), commented on this new research, finding that the results demonstrate that consensus exists among experts on the reality of harmful media violence effects on children and adolescents. They conclude with a call for research on how to overcome resistance to unpopular scientific findings.
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