Adverse impact of violent scenes on TVcinema screen

Md. Atikur Rahman Many socially conscious people believe that the violent scenes and activities shown on TV and cinema screen have a definite bearing on the mind of viewers. These are inciting people for violence. Therefore, governments need to control the extent, length, duration of visual presentation on such scenes of violence on the TV and cinema screen in order to help reduce or curb violence in society. Now-a-days, most psychologists and social scientists broadly support this view. We also agree to this proposition. There should be a regulation categorically stating how and to what extent the TV or cinema-films can show violence on the screen. Over last several decades, the coverage of scenes of violence on the screen has been increasing. Violence has become a business commodity for TVcinema-producers that are presented to the viewers by profit-mongering film-makers. Murder, strangulation, gruesome slaughtering, serial killings, gun-battle between rival groups and terrorists and cases of extortion, abduction, hijacking and hostage-taking, terrorist movements, arms and drug trafficking and other forms of social and domestic violence are repeatedly becoming subjects of movies and coverage by a section of the electronic media. Many ghastly murder scenes are portrayed on the screen as way to touch one's senses. Movies often show violence as an expression of heroism. The vigilante heroes take law in their hands and ensure justice in a violent way. Few years ago, a 10-year old boy killed both parents with a shotgun and when he was asked why he had committed that, he came out with the reply that he had seen the same thing in a movie. In many ill-governed Third World countries, poor people, women and children in particular, are victims of social vice. Moneyed and powerful people buy justice in favour of them, often denying the masses of what is just. Viewers get vicarious pleasure as someone else (the hero) is carrying out justice for the helpless and standing against the unjust. Viewers' grudge or vengeance that they bear in their subconscious minds are released. We believe that 'screen violence' has definitely a strong impact on the emotional viewer's psyche. Many studies have already corroborated this belief. Violence-viewing young ones often show heightened violent behaviour. An increasing number of violent occurrences like school shooting, knifing etc., show that children are occasionally being violent. Some may argue that showing violence on screen often educates people about violence and their bad consequences. We agree that there are occasional episodes of reporting in TV shows that often highlight the negatives of violence. There is no denying that violence is a part of our complex stressful society. However, everyone should agree that lesser the extent of such violence in the society, the more the benefit for society. Since violence on screen has a negative effect on the society and people's psyche; unbridled and sensational violent screenplays should be restricted for public viewing. On the other hand, violence is a social vice and every society or country wants to eradicate it. Violence in the society indicates that something is malfunctioning in the society. A host of socio-economic, legal-political factors causes violence in society. In Bangladesh, many organised groups who are engaged in cases of extortion, are involved in violent activities and their primary motive is economic gain. Recently, the acts of abduction are on the rise and the motives are generally economic. Political turmoil often leads to violence. Absence of rule of law in the society breeds violence. Killing for killing and also killing and threatening the witnesses primarily show the weakness of the law enforcing agencies and the legal system. For making any attempt to make the society free from violence, the conflict within and between societies has to be eradicated. Starting from the households, every tier of the society has to work concertedly to reduce violence. Equality, rule of justice and education and proper enforcement of law are important. Film-makers can work in their respective field to make people conscious about the bad effects of violence. Moreover, there should be proper warning before any scene on violence is shown on the screen. Government agencies can detail out the modalities that they would deem proper. .................................................. The writer is Librarian, Institute of Fashion & Technology of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association or BGMEA and ex- Librarian, BIAM Foundation. He can be reached at e-mail : atik@bift.info