Violent Heroes

Some of the most popular role models for children are action-film heroes, according to a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization study of the effect of violence in the media. Of the five thousand 12-year-olds interviewed in 23 countries, 26 percent placed these movie heroes “way ahead of pop stars and musicians (18.5 percent), religious leaders (8 percent), or politicians (3 percent)” as their models for conduct, notes Brazil’s Jornal da Tarde. Professor Jo Groebel, coordinator of the study, says that children evidently regard violent heroes mainly as models of how to survive difficult situations. The more children become accustomed to violence, Groebel warns, the more capable they are of extreme behavior. He adds: “The media propagate the idea that violence is normal and pays off.” Groebel emphasized that parents play a fundamental role in providing their children with direction that helps them to separate fiction from reality.