Aggression and Violence in the Media

Introduction

Many people in society encounter different forms of violence or aggression. The bad news is that communities have not been keen to address this problem using adequate initiatives. In the recent past, diverse platforms have been used to sensitize more individuals about violence and why it should be addressed using combined efforts. This paper, therefore, explores the role of media in analyzing and addressing different forms of abuse or aggression.

Television Episodes

The television series “Three Girls” give a detailed analysis of the events and abuses surrounding the infamous Rochdale sexual abuse. The program was broadcasted on BBC One on the 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th of May, 2017. In the three episodes, viewers learned how the authorities failed to investigate various allegations of abuse and rape. The three girls (Winshaw, Amber Bowen, and Ruby) were raped by ten men (Lowthorpe, 2017). Throughout the episodes, it is evident that the girls are unable to come to terms with this kind of betrayal and abuse. The police team and Maggie decided to persuade the victims to give a detailed analysis of the horror they went through.

A new prosecutor by the name Nazir Afzal managed to convict the accused men for raping the three girls. These episodes, therefore, revealed and described heinous acts that destroyed the hopes of young innocent girls. The ten accused men committed sexual abuse. The narrations reveal how the girls were raped and abused severally. This kind of portrayal demonstrates a unique kind of violence against innocent individuals (Lowthorpe, 2017). As indicated earlier, the three girls were aged 13, 14, and 16. The convicted men were aged above 18 years. All these individuals were Britons.

Inclusion of Violence

Several reasons can be used to explain why the selected TV episode includes violence. Firstly, the move was informed by the sexual abuse that took place in Rochdale. The use of this strategy will expose the story to more people. The second reason why the episode featured rape was to support the needs of more victims and empower them. The rationale is that the problem of rape continues to affect many young girls in different societies (Mrug, Madan, & Windle, 2016). That being the case, the portrayal of this violent act empowers and encourages more victims to pursue their goals in life.

Desensitization

The use of media violence is a powerful approach for causing desensitization in people. Psychology is the first concept that can be used to describe how this process takes place. When a person is exposed to a given event several times, his or her emotional responsiveness to it reduces significantly. This means that the use of media violence can encourage more individuals to tolerate malpractice. The second way is that the approach might result in a situation whereby specific feelings such as empathy, compassion, and sympathy are undermined (Mrug et al., 2016). Consequently, people will no longer treat any form of social violence seriously.

Conclusion

This discussion indicates that the use of media violence is a practice that can encourage different people to overcome any form of abuse. The approach guides members of society to understand why violence is a major social problem that should be addressed using evidence-based solutions. On the other hand, the model can result in desensitization and encourage more people to overlook various acts of violence.

References

Lowthorpe, P. (Director). (2017). Three girls [Video file]. Web.

Mrug, S., Madan, A., & Windle, M. (2016). Emotional desensitization to violence contributes to adolescents’ violent behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 44(1), 75-86. Web.