Bullying and the Media’s Influence

Does violent activity on television and in the media encourage copy cat behaviour amongst young people? Well a 15 year study carried out by the University of Michigan found this to be true.

Role models are used to influence impressionable minds. They are found naturally in honourable activity in society and are usually people of modest character, placid, selfless, disciplined and effective. But today they are provided by the media. These are the more colourful, ratings-driven characters who display narcissistic, aggressive, extrovertish traits. Depicted regularly on TV and in the fashionable media these characters become acceptable, credible celebrity culture.

Research into behaviour influences was so clear as to cause the TV stations in America to not wish to cover suicides and charities such as Samaritans to influence the PCC Press Complaints Commission to add a sub-class to PCC 5 from August 7th 2006 to restrict reporting on methods and the sensational aspects of suicide. This was a clear admission from the Executive Chairman of News International Les Hinton that media reporting of suicide often prompted copycat cases.

When characters behave overly aggressively on TV the effect is the same. This is more so if the viewer is convinced that society applauds how they are behaving. Children think ‘If I behave like that I’ll end up in the cool crowd and in the celebrity magazines.’

Similar behaviour spreads across the society as television viewers live out the roles they see. The media have every right to create heightened fiction for our entertainment and to receive the high ratings that reward good drama. However, Act Against Bullying believes it would be helpful to label our programmes to ensure that viewers are aware that the process of writing fiction or editing factual documentary does present a certain type of personality in a more glamourous light than another. For this reason we have created the Grade Not Degrade Campaign.

Grade Not Degrade Campaign

Act Against Bullying’s research has shown that many parents are anxious about the effect that the constant portrayal and glorification of bullying behaviour in the media has on their children and in society generally. Switch on the television or open a magazine and you are likely to see humiliating, vulgar, offensive and aggressive behaviour normalised and portrayed as, at least socially acceptable—sometimes even ‘cool’. We believe this is leading to an unacceptable change in our culture and contributing to a significant increase in offensive behaviour on our streets, in our hospitals and within our schools and home environments.

Act Against Bullying's Grade Not Degrade campaign suggested a warning to accompany all drama productions to reflect these concerns.

Suggested messages:

‘The characters in this television show are fictitious and do not reflect society’s norms.’

‘All the characters in this show have been drawn for dramatic effect.’

‘All the characters in this show are fictitious. Some behaviour has been heightened for dramatic purposes and is not a true representation of acceptable social behaviour’.

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