Level: Grades 5 to 7

Overview

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In this lesson, students become aware of the types and amounts of violence in children's programming, and how media violence influences young viewers. The lesson begins with a class discussion about different forms of violence and the types of violent acts that are regularly featured on TV. Students assess their own attitudes toward violence by determining what violent media content is suitable, and not suitable, for younger children. After reviewing existing rating codes, students create codes of their own. Based on a poll of younger children, students will then select, review, and rate favourite children's programs.

Learning Outcomes

Students demonstrate:

• an awareness of the different types of violence that appear in children's television programs.
• an understanding of the voluntary codes that regulate violence in children's television in Canada
• an understanding of their own reactions to various types of violence.
• an understanding of the need to limit the amount of violence viewed by young children.

Materials & Preparation

• Read the background information on the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB)Television Violence Code.
• Photocopy handouts:
  • How Old Should You Be To Watch Violent TV Shows?
  • The Rules
  • Physical Violence Worksheet
  • Emotional Violence Worksheet
    
• Arrange for classroom time in primary classes for students to interview younger children.

The Lesson

Guided discussion

Brainstorm with your students:

• What is violence? (Make sure that students consider both physical and emotional acts of violence in their definitions.)
• How many types of violent acts can you think of? (Emotional: yelling, put-downs, name-calling, dumping [transferring unrelated anger to another person]. Physical: threatening/bullying, pushing/shoving, hitting/punching/kicking, shooting, stabbing, vandalism, dangerous behavior.)
• Is emotional violence just as bad as physical violence? (We can be hurt emotionally, just as we can be hurt physically. Yelling, put-downs, name-calling and threats are what kids are most likely to experience in the school yard. Emotionally violent acts can begin a cycle that leads to physical violence: put-downs or name-calling, pushing or shoving, hitting or punching, attacking with a weapon.)
• How do you think TV violence affects children? (TV violence may make some kids think that the world is a scary and dangerous place; that violence is a normal part of life; that violence is a good solution to many kinds of problems; makes kids less sympathetic to victims of violence; makes kids more interested in violence, both as a form of entertainment and in their real lives; and encourages them to copy the acts that they see on TV. Another area of concern is the addiction factor - the more violent action kids consume, the more they need that level of action and excitement in their entertainment.)

Our attitudes towards TV violence have changed over time. At one time or another, each of the following have been considered violent acts. Which ones do you think are violent, and which do you think are not violent?

• The Three Stooges poking each other in the eye.
• Scenes of war on the 6:00 news.
• A food fight.
• Someone being threatened with a gun.
• A nasty insult.

• A cartoon character shooting another character.

  
  (Source: The TV Book, The Kid's Guide to Talking Back, by Shelagh Wallace. Annick Press, 1996.)

Thinking about the issue: Not only have our attitudes changed over time, but each of us has our own standards in judging what is acceptable.

• Distribute How Old Should You Be To Watch Violent TV Shows? handout. 
• Review your students' responses to the questions. Is there a general consesus regarding the appropriate ages, or do responses differ? 
• Remind students to think about these questions when they are looking at children's programs later in the unit.

Today, we have guidelines to control violence in kids' TV shows. Distribute The Rules handout and review with students. The Rules are adapted from the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Voluntary Code on Violence. Ask students:

• Are these are good rules?
• Are there other rules they would like to add?
• How well do children's shows follow these rules?

Discuss the concept of rating media productions according to violent content. In Canada, C is used to label programming for children under the age of 8; C-8,  for children ages 8 and older; G, for a broad, general audience; PG, unsuitable for kids under age 8 and parents should supervise children between the ages of 8 - 14;  14+, unsuitable for children under the age of 14; and 18+, for adults only. In the United States, a television rating system has been created that features ratings such as TV-G, suitable for all ages; TV-7, unsuitable for kids under seven; TV-PG, parental guidance suggested; TV-14, unsuitable for kids under 14; and TV-M, for mature audiences only.

Activity 1

Design a Rating System

Children's shows all fall under the TV-7 or C-8 categories, but there is still a wide range of violence appearing in these programs, especially in cartoons. Referring to the different types of violence that the class has brainstormed, and the rules for children's programs, ask your students to come up with their own rating system, based on violence in children's programs.

For example, they might decide to rate programs on a scale of 1 to 5, according to the amounts and types of violence shown. Programs with very little violent content (like Sesame Street or Mr. Dress-up) would be rated TV-1; programs that feature some name-calling or put-downs would be rated TV-2; programs that feature small amounts of milder physical violence such as pushing and shoving would be rated TV-3; programs that feature moderate amounts of physical and emotional violence (many cartoons fall into this category) would be rated TV-4; and programs featuring a great deal of physical and emotional violence (super-hero television shows such as Power Rangers and Sailor Moon) would be rated TV-5.

As a class, have students assess how many violent acts must appear in a program to determine each rating.

Activity 2

Rate the Programs

• Once students have created their rating system, they will interview children in the primary grades to determine their favorite television shows.
• From these interviews, students will compile a master list of the most popular television shows watched by primary students in their school.
• Divide your students into groups and distribute the "favorite shows" among each group.
• Using their Physical Violence Worksheetand Emotional Violence Worksheet worksheets, each group member will watch these shows and track the types and amounts of violent acts in them.
• As a group, students will compile their statistics and rate their assigned programs according to violent content.
• For each of their assigned programs, students will create a summary that includes:

1) The name of the program.

2) The day of the week and time that the program is aired.

3) The program's rating.

4) A brief description of the types of violence that appear in the program

• Once all the groups have completed their summaries, they can be compiled into a Guide For Parents that could be distributed to the parents of children in the primary grades or be summarized in the principal's newsletter.