The shooting episode at the Euro International School in Gurgaon may well prove that such incidents are no longer proprietary to the West. But many people fail to understand that this is the result of increased depiction of violence in today’s movies, cartoons, serials, commercials and computer games. Violent films encourage violent forms of behaviour and promote violence in daily life as being acceptable. Watching violence can also leave children fearful or make them less sensitive to real violence and its consequences, a process called desensitisation. If children are not shocked by violence or its consequences, they may be more willing to accept high levels of violence in society or even commit an act of violence. Another common outcome of viewing violence is an increase in hostile feelings towards everybody especially peers. Throughout the past 30 years, violence in the media has increased, and so has violence in our society among young people especially children. Unless parents and elders control the number of hours their children watch the television and the programmes they watch, this phenomenon is here to stay and explode.
Mohd. Salahuddin
Mulund (W), Mumbai