Journal of Mass Communication & Journalism

Media and Violence: A Critical Review of Violence Theories

Abstract

Andrew Ali Ibbi*

The rise in the level of violence the world over has been a worrisome development to people all over the world. An understanding of the audience and what content to give to them has become necessary considering the fact that violent media content is on the increase and the audience can accessed such content through many devices thanks to technology and its daily sophistication. This paper takes a holistic look at media violence and a critical look at some selected media violence theories. An understanding of what can be termed as violence is very important before any research can be done in this area. The theories considered in this paper are: Social Learning Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, Excitation Transfer Theory, Cultivation Theory and Desensitization Theory. The paper is an attempt to discuss the different angles that scholars viewed the selected theories in the paper and a look at how the theories fit in our immediate society.