Values and Violence

Beautiful values and violence with all its shapes and types are incompatible.

What are the types of violence?

1- Motive violence: Punching and beating for instance.

2- Economic violence: Such as impoverishing

3- Social violence: Such as social brittleness.

4- Psychological violence: Such as exclusion.

5- Symbolic violence: Such as exclusion of minds.

6- Environmental violence: Such as environmental violence.

7- Administrative violence: Such as putting barriers before the execution of affairs.

8- Indicative violence: Through disgraceful and ugly indications.

9- Verbal violence: Through offensive words for instance.

Indeed, violence is an acquired non-instinctive behavior: So, a human being learns violence from the channels of social rearing. Moreover, we cannot forget that violence is fueled by selfishness and his excessive love to oneself and his mono-sight where exercising violence will not affect him and that he is far away from it; which is nonsense and ignorance. Some studies adopt that criminal behaviors trace back to genetic heritage which is a mistake and the cause of this mistake is the mixture of cultural heritage with the genetic heritage, claiming that the heritor by culture is genetically heritor.

Other studies adopt the opposite direction which say that media contributes in spreading violent behaviors through movies and series, which has a great side of authenticity.

Effects of violence viewed in media:

There are theories show the relationship of the viewed violence with the behaviors of the viewers as an answer to the following question: (Does visual violence affect the viewers?) There are some theories about this subject:

• The theory of disinfection or catharsis:

Aristotle anciently said that drama is very important for releasing concerns, fears, pressures, and sadness. Exposure for violence (through watching it) in media reduces its effect because we purify ourselves from violence by watching it in audio-video means such as TVs. because these views enable us to get rid of our psychological pressures and negative ideas, accordingly our violence is reduced.

• The theory of learning and imitation:

Indeed, the best way to teach children and giving them the correct behaviors is to review the correct behaviors before them as a model to follow. Indeed, frequent exposure to violence may lead in many cases to the imitation and learning of violence. Children who are exposed to violent scenes, which show violent behaviors correctly and desirably, learn violent behaviors, especially when they are attached by cinematic hero and admire him and admire his violence. Accordingly, they try to imitate his behaviors, whereas the children who are exposed to violent contents, in which violence is an unacceptable behavior, learn the denial of violent behaviors, thus the whole matter depend on motivation whether positive or negative.

• The theory of motivation:

The purport of this theory is: Exposure to violent scenes in TV motivates and awakens feelings that lead to the use of violence. So, frequent exposure to violence in media pushes the viewers to practice it. Indeed, watching violent programs increases psychological pressures and negative charges which lead to violence in order to release suppressed energies.

• The theory of reinforcement:

Violence in media reinforces violent actions at some of violent viewers because those people naturally incline to violence, whereas naturally nonviolent viewers are not affected by violent scenes. According to this theory, violence does not burst after watching television but it is a result of the environment in which a person grow up. So, if a person was grown up in a violent environment, he shall have violent behaviors, but if the environment in which he was grown up is naturally nonviolent, the viewed violence will not affect him.

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May Allah grant us success! I say: Affectedness by violent scenes depend on the susceptibility for violence. Violent scenes do not necessarily lead to the formation of violent behaviors, but that affectedness is achieved in the absence of supervision, including family supervision and its directions that lead to block the way before the violent scenes of TV and media.

• She watched violent series but she is not violent.

• He watched violent series so, he is now violent.

• He did not watch violent series but he is violent.

Hence, we conclude that violence of media does not necessarily lead to violent behaviors.