Teenagers in the United States are no more violent than teenagers in other countries, but are ten times more likely to die as a result of violence than their international peers, and are more likely to be bullied (Rubin 1). These results come from a study by the World Health Organization of youth in the US, Ireland, Israel, Portugal, and Sweden. Teens in all countries reported similar levels of fighting, carrying weapons, and being injured while fighting, suggesting fighting may be part of normal adolescence. The study also found that students who fight frequently are also likely to engage in other risky behavior such as drug and alcohol abuse. Israel and the United States almost tied for bullying levels (43 percent and 41 percent respectively) with Sweden having the lowest rate (15 percent). European countries have had more aggressive programs to stamp out bullying.
A study by Sargent et al (5-6) looked at the effects of viewing violent movies on teens. Although many studies have been done looking at the effects of television violence on teens, none have been done looking at the effect of violence in movies. The study looked at students from 15 middle schools in New Hampshire and Vermont, and involved 4,946 students (92 percent White, 49.4 percent male). The study showed that the viewing of violent movies was correlated with higher age, being male, poorer school performance, and lower education of parents. Twenty-eight percent of students viewed movies with extreme violence, and 27 percent had viewed movies with sexualized violence. The study did not draw any conclusions about how the students were affected by viewing these movies, but said it offered a possible insight as to why some of them were capable of acting on violent impulses.
Kowalski (6-14) looked at the effects of violence on teens and found that typical responses include anger, fear, and shock. Many teens find violence demeaning., causing them physical...