Violence in Mass Media Timeline

ProQuest Staff. "Violence in Mass Media Timeline." Leading Issues Timelines. 28 Jul 2010: n.p. SIRS Researcher. Web. 13 Oct 2010.

This is a timeline about violence in mass media, as well as censorship. What I found interesting was that Chicago was the first city to have a motion-picture censorship board. 

  Background

Janet Leigh Screams In Shower from 'Psycho' American actor Janet Leigh screams in the shower in the famous scene from the film, 'Psycho,' directed by Alfred Hitchcock, 1960. (Photo by Paramount Pictures/Courtesy of Getty Images)

Violence in mass media has been a controversial social and political issue since the popularization of motion pictures in the 1900s. Censorship boards were created and censorship laws were enacted throughout the United States to control motion-picture content, including excessive gunfire and criminal activities. The popularization of television in the 1940s and 1950s provoked so much public outrage over content that, in 1952, the U.S. Senate conducted the first of many investigations into television and radio programming.

1907

Chicago is the first American city to implement a motion-picture censorship board. Censorship boards across the country are established over the next decade.

1908

December 24: New York City enacts a motion-picture censorship law stating that nickelodeons showing “immoral” films will not be licensed. Five hundred and fifty venues’ entertainment licenses are revoked.

1909

March: The New York-based People’s Institute funds and creates a National Board of Censorship of Moving Pictures (renamed the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures in 1916) to defend films while censoring them for inappropriate content. Within the first month, the board destroys $12,000 in film and threatens to blacklist producers not willing to submit films for approval. Motion-picture producers begin to forbid scenes of murder and burglary in screenplays, instead seeking biblical and classical-literature stories for production.

1911

Pennsylvania becomes the first state to pass a statewide film censorship law. The Pennsylvania State Board of Censors is created to censor and approve all motion pictures.

1914

The Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) demands federal regulation of motion pictures.

1915

February 23: In Mutual Film Corporation v. Industrial Commission of Ohio, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that motion-picture content is not protected by the First Amendment, allowing state and local film-censorship boards to censor and supervise films.

1916

The Motion Picture Board of Trade and the National Exhibitor’s League merge to create the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry, the American film industry’s response to increasing motion-picture censorship across the nation.

1918

The National Association of the Motion Picture Industry implements a code of content standards specifying unacceptable film subjects and themes.

1921

President of the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry William A. Brady visits cities around the nation protesting film censorship.

New York State passes a film censorship law.

1922

The Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), renamed the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in 1945, is created by the film industry to self-regulate its content and avoid censorship from outside sources. Former Postmaster General William H. Hays is named head of the new organization.

The radio industry is criticized for inappropriate content in its programming. In response, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is founded to represent radio broadcasters.

1924

Some European countries , including England, Italy and France, denounce violent content in American films, notably westerns, gangster films and thrillers. Upon learning of international sentiment regarding U.S. motion pictures, American producers limit violence and other controversial content in films submitted to these countries, according to a report issued by president of the British Board of Film Censors, T.P. O’Connor.

1925

The Women's Christian Temperance Union decides that motion pictures are the most important cultural influence on youth and that the MPPDA is not doing enough to regulate their content. It forms a Motion Picture Department to support government regulation.

January 17: County judges in Brooklyn, New York, declare that motion pictures and stage productions are responsible for increases in crime and immorality.

1929

March: The NAB adopts a code of ethics to prevent radio stations from broadcasting offensive content and to protect listeners from fraudulent advertisers.

1930

The MPPDA adopts the Production Code, introducing more rigorous motion-picture guidelines that prohibits themes such as illegal drug trafficking and liquor use.
Out of the 2,022 American films submitted to Canada’s Ontario Board of Censors, 65 films are rejected and 486 others are demanded to be revised.

1931

Film censorship standards vary considerably by state, and motion-picture producers struggle to meet content expectation.

1934

April: The Roman Catholic Legion of Decency is formed in an attempt to halt immorality in motion pictures.
July 13: The Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America vote to unite with the Roman Catholic Legion of Decency in its crusade for decency in motion pictures.

1945

The Motion Picture Export Association of America (renamed Motion Picture Association in 1994) is founded to help reestablish American films in the international market in the wake of World War II.

1947

September: The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) bans the broadcasting of crime, horror and mystery radio programs before 9:30 at night to help prevent children from listening to such programs. The ban becomes formally effective on January 1, 1948.

Schoolboy Reads Comic Book 17th May 1952: A schoolboy avidly reading the American comic 'Roy Carson', just one of the US publications which some people feel are detrimental to the minds of young children. (Photo by Thurston Hopkins/Picture Post/Getty Images)

1950

November 11: Following a survey inquiring whether crime comic books contribute to juvenile delinquency, Senator Estes Kefauver (D-Tenn.) and his Senate crime committee announce that their effects are negligible.

1951

The National Association of Broadcasters adopts a code for television content, prohibiting certain depictions of crime, sexual intimacy, addiction, cruelty and horror.

1952

January: New York-based National Association of Educational Broadcasters completes its analysis of New York City television programming content. Nearly 15 percent of broadcasted presentations are crime dramas, while Western-themed shows make up more than 8 percent.
February 19: The Gesell Institute, established in 1950 to study the stages of child development, publishes the opinion that children have a genuine need for excitement and adventure, and this may account for the popularity of scary and violent films and radio and television programs.
March 1: The National Association of Radio & Television Broadcasters’ Television Code, establishing content guidelines for television programming, goes into effect.
May 26: Following months of appeals, the Supreme Court rules on Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson, finding that motion pictures are entitled to the same free speech constitutional rights as the press.
December 15: Following a Senate investigation into television and radio programming, the subcommittee announces its findings. Although the group concludes that crime is featured too prominently and that myriad comedic scenes are objectionable, it opposes the institution of government control and censorship of media and praises the television and radio industries’ efforts to self-regulate and self-censor.

1953

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) considers Otto Preminger’s The Moon Is Blue in violation of the Production Code. The film is released without an MPAA certificate of approval.

June 1: The Senate establishes a subcommittee to examine causes of and contributors to juvenile delinquency. Television, although not initially cited by the resolution, becomes one of the investigation’s twelve focus areas the following year.

1954

June and October: The Senate’s Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency, chaired by Senator Robert Hendrickson (R-N.J.), holds public hearings on televised violence. Television industry executives defend their content, citing First Amendment protections, lack of research on television’s harmful effects, and the quantity of beneficial children’s programming. The subcommittee concludes that more research is necessary and that governmental censorship should be avoided.
November: A Gallup poll finds that 70 percent of people surveyed believe that comic books and television programs contribute to juvenile delinquency.

1955

"The Man with the Golden Arm" Film Poster Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak and Eleanor Parker starred in the 1955 Otto Preminger film "The Man with the Golden Arm." Sinatra was nominated for an Academy Award for his controversial role as a drug addict.

The MPAA considers Otto Preminger's The Man with the Golden Arm in violation of the Production Code. The film is released without an MPAA certificate of approval. The following year, The Man with the Golden Arm is nominated for three Oscars and the Production Code is updated to allow drugs, kidnapping, abortion and prostitution in motion pictures.
August 25: Following hearings to determine televised violence’s effects on juvenile delinquency, the Senate’s Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency announces that it has found no proof that television crime and violent images contribute to criminal behavior.

1956

In a study, 12 children watched a violent Woody Woodpecker cartoon and 12 children watched the nonviolent The Little Red Hen cartoon. The children who viewed Woody Woodpecker were more likely to be aggressive later during play.

1960

The MPAA considers Alfred Hitchcock’s [[ITAL]]Psycho[[/ITAL]] in violation of the Production Code. The film is released without an MPAA certificate of approval.

1961

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) publishes the annotated international bibliography “The Influence of the Cinema on Children and Adolescents.” Four hundred writers from nearly thirty countries, although contradictory in their opinions regarding the influence of motion pictures on juveniles, are effectively unanimous on the necessity of producing films specifically for children.
In published studies of controlled laboratory experiments conducted in 1961 and 1963, researchers report that children who view a televised scene of a person hitting a doll are more likely to imitate the behavior later during play.
May 9: The newly appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Newton Minow, condemns the television industry and its programming content during a speech at a National Association of Broadcasters convention.

1964

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) publishes the study “The Effects of Television on Children and Adolescents.” The study finds that television may contribute to juvenile delinquency and also concludes that aggressive children could be adversely affected by television violence.

1968

June 10: Following the April 4 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the June 5 assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, violence in television programming comes under increased scrutiny. President Lyndon Johnson establishes the U.S. National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence to investigate the causes and possible prevention of violence in American society. In a speech during the signing ceremony, Johnson suggests that mass media’s violent programming and broadcasts may be partially accountable.
June 12: The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) announces it will take steps to reduce violent content in its broadcasts.
October: The MPAA discontinues the Production Code and creates a ratings system, to go into effect November 1.

1969

The National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence releases a report stating that “Violence on television encourages violent forms of behavior.” The report goes on to suggest that television is a “contributing factor” to violence in American society.
March: Senator John O. Pastore (D-R.I.), chairman of the Senate Communications Subcommittee, requests that the Surgeon General conduct a study on the effects of televised violence on children. He also demands that network broadcasting executives regulate televised violence according to the National Association of Broadcasters code.

1972

In a published field study, researchers report that children who regularly viewed Batman and Spiderman cartoons over several weeks were more likely to become aggressive during play, while children who regularly viewed Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood over several weeks were more cooperative during play.
January 17: The U.S. Surgeon General office’s “Television and Growing Up: The Impact of Televised Violence,” a 300-page report on the effects of televised violence on children, is released. While the report’s conclusions are considered ambivalent, Surgeon General Jesse L. Steinfeld affirms that the study does reveal a link between television violence and children’s behavior.

March 21: The Senate Communications Subcommittee, led by Senator John O. Pastore (D-R.I.), begins hearings on the effects of televised violence on children. Surgeon General Jesse L. Steinfeld testifies, recommending immediate action to curtail televised violence, urging broadcasters to self-regulate their content and advising against government censorship. He also proposes a violence-ratings system.

'A Clockwork Orange' Promotional Poster Promotional poster for the film 'A Clockwork Orange,' directed and produced by American director Stanley Kubrick (1928 - 1999) and released in 1971. Featured prominently in the poster is British actor Malcolm McDowell (as Alexander 'Alex' de Large), who leers menicingly and wields a large knife. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

1973

The MPAA gives Stanley Kubrick’s violent A Clockwork Orange an X rating. Kubrick cuts 30 seconds from the film to receive an R rating.

1974

April: The three major television broadcast networks, CBS, NBC and ABC, announce changes to their weekend children’s programming, including the additions of educational and social themes and the elimination of violence.
April: Days after the networks’ announcement to change weekend children's programming, Senate hearings on televised violence begin, led by Senator John O. Pastore (D-R.I.). At the hearings conclusion, the subcommittee orders that the FCC, chaired by Richard E. Wiley, report to Congress on television executives’ efforts to protect young viewers.

1975

January: FCC Chairman Richard C. Wiley meets with presidents of the three major television broadcast networks, NBC, CBS and ABC, to discuss their new policy of airing family shows during the networks’ first hour of nightly programming.

February 19: The FCC releases its “Report on the Broadcast of Violent, Indecent, and Obscene Material,” which acknowledges substantial evidence about television violence and its harmful effects on children. The report states that self-regulation is preferable to government censorship.
April: The National Association of Broadcasters and the three major television broadcast networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, formally adopt the “family viewing” hour to decrease the amount of televised violence and sexual content.

1976

A California federal court rules that the three major television broadcast networks’ family viewing hour, instituted in 1975, is unconstitutional, citing unlawful pressure from the FCC.
The Motion Picture Association of America recommends that Martin Scorsese remove color from Taxi Driver’s violent shootout scene. The change earns the film an R rating.

1977

Robert De Niro in 1975 Film "Taxi Driver"

October 6: Fifteen-year-old Ronny Zamora is charged with first-degree murder. His lawyer, Ellis Rubin, uses the insanity defense for his client, contending that Zamora was so addicted to violent television programs that he was not responsible for his actions. Zamora’s insanity defense fails and he is convicted of first-degree murder.

1981

Following the 1978 Academy Award-winning film The Deer Hunter airing on cable television, the National Coalition on Television Violence reports that 25 people subsequently killed themselves in an apparent imitation of the film’s “Russian roulette” scene.
June 18: Two major television broadcast networks, ABC and NBC, release separate studies asserting that the majority of television viewers do not consider television content too violent or offensive and oppose censorship of programs.
October: Television broadcast officials, researchers and consumer advocates testify before the Congressional subcommittee on the social and behavioral effects of televised violence on children.
December 7: The California District Court of Appeals rules on Olivia N. v. NBC, a 1978 case in which a young girl’s family sued NBC for damages after she was raped with a bottle. Her lawyers allege that her attackers were influenced by a scene in the network’s television film “Born Innocent.” The court’s decision upholds a previous dismissal of the case, finding that the movie does not encourage violent acts.

1982

The National Institute of Mental Health publishes a review of the effects of mass media violence, citing the organization’s concerns for its effects on children's psychological health. It concludes that a correlation exists between exposure to televised violence and children’s aggressive behavior.
NBC’s Department of Social Research publishes its findings from a longitudinal research study into television and aggression, asserting that the study’s results could not confirm that media violence influences behavior.

1984

Toronto’s Action Group on Media Pornography holds a Symposium on Media Violence and Pornography at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. The conference, spurred by concern about violent American television programming available in Canada, explores the link between violence and pornography.
The MPAA introduces the PG-13 rating after some scenes in the PG-rated Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom are criticized for being too gruesome.
The findings of a 20-year longitudinal study are published. Researchers conclude that children who viewed more violent television programming during the 1960s were more likely to be aggressive as teenagers and adults.

1985

The American Psychological Association (APA) recommends that parents restrict their children’s viewing of violent television programs and asks that broadcasters reduce such shows’ violent content.
April 26: In an open letter observing the Roman Catholic Church’s 19th World Communications Day, Pope John Paul II warns of the dangers of sex and violence in film, on television and in the news.

1987

September: Pope John Paul II meets with actors, directors, producers and other entertainment-industry professionals in Los Angeles during his 10-day tour of the United States. He advises that they utilize mass media to promote “great good” rather than sex and violence.

1989

May 16: The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Social Communications publishes “Pornography and Violence in the Communications Media: A Pastoral Response,” declaring that pornography and violence are corruptive and calling for international laws to prevent this type of content in mass media.

1990

In response to "An Open Letter to Jack Valenti,” a letter to the MPAA president from directors discussing their concerns with X ratings, the MPAA creates the NC-17 rating, which would distinguish between pornographic and nonpornographic films.
December 1: The Television Program Improvement Act is passed, offering exemption from antitrust laws to television broadcasting networks who attempt to lessen the harmful effects of televised violence by December 1, 1993.

1992

The television broadcasting networks inform Senator Paul Simon (D-Ill.), promoter of the Television Program Improvement Act, that they will adhere to standardized content guidelines on violence and will organize a conference to discuss the issue.
June: Federal legislation bans violent and other indecent television and radio daytime and primetime programming.

1993

The video game Doom, a first-person shooting game, is released and immediately criticized for its depictions of violence.
The Center for Media Literacy is established to educate the public about mass media and its content.
The APA publishes its “Report of the American Psychological Association Commission on Violence and Youth.” The report asserts that watching televised violent programming is linked to increased aggression and increased acceptance of others’ aggression.
University of Washington epidemiologist Brandon S. Centerwall publishes findings from his study of homicide rates, comparing those of Canada and the United States to that of South Africa, a country without television until 1975. U.S. homicide rates nearly doubled between mid-century, when television was introduced, and 1975. In South Africa, homicide rates were stable between 1950 and 1975, but by 1987, that country’s homicide rates had doubled.
June 30: During congressional hearings on televised violence, television network executives propose parental-discretion warnings for programs considered too violent for children.
December: Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) begins a campaign against violent video games, supporting a bill that would require the gaming industry to rate its games. A Senate subcommittee is formed to investigate video-game violence. Sega and Nintendo executives announce that they will develop a ratings system for buyers.
December: In response to customer complaints about violence in the video game Night Trap, the chain toy stores Toys 'R' Us and Kay-Bee stop carrying the video game.

1994

Impact of Television Violence Some popular television programs, such as "Rug Rats," were cited by researchers as encouraging children to behave aggressively. Cartoons such as "The Simpsons" and "Pokemon" and the show "Power Rangers" were also cited, as were evening news broadcasts, which tend to emphasize violent incidents.

The National Cable Television Association hires the nonprofit media education organization Mediascope to conduct a three-year study of violence on cable television and its effects. The study is called the “National Television Violence Study.”
“The Effects of Television Violence on Antisocial Behavior: A Meta-Analysis,” which examined 217 studies on television violence conducted between 1957 and 1990, concludes that watching television violence causes aggressive and otherwise antisocial behaviors, most notably in children.
March: The Senate subcommittee investigating video-game violence holds another round of hearings. Seven top companies in the gaming industry pledge to create a ratings system by the holiday season.
June: Senator Paul Simon (D-Ill.) and the broadcast television networks enlist the UCLA Center for Communication Policy to conduct a three-year study of broadcast television violence and its effects. The study is called the “UCLA Television Violence Monitoring Report.”
July 31: The Interactive Digital Software Association, the gaming industry’s trade association (renamed the Entertainment Software Association in 2003) announces a video-game ratings system for violent and sexual content and offensive language.

1995

The Parents Television Council, a nonprofit organization opposing sex, violence and offensive language in mass media, is founded.
The Lion & Lamb Project is created to reduce violence in mass media.

1996

January 8: The Supreme Court upholds June 1992 federal legislation banning violent and other indecent television and radio daytime and primetime programming.
February 8: The Telecommunications Act is signed into law, calling for the television broadcasting industry to create a ratings system to identify violent and other content unsuitable for children. It also mandates the installation of V-chip technology, which would allow parents to block rated television programs, by January 1, 2000.
September 19: The first volume of the “National Television Violence Study,” a three-year study assessing the effects of televised violence on children, is published.

1997

The CBS News and History Channel documentary, The 20th Century with Mike Wallace: Violence in the Media, which provides a history of violence in mass media and considers the validity of protecting children from such violence, is broadcasted.
January 1: The television broadcasting industry introduces the “TV Parental Guidelines,” a ratings system based on programs’ age-appropriateness.
February 19: A fatal shooting occurs at a high school in Bethel, Alaska. Violent video and computer games are implicated as influencing the violent behavior.

March 18: The final report of the “UCLA Television Violence Monitoring Report,” which monitored broadcast television programming from 1994 through 1997, is announced. Among its findings are that violent prime-time series had decreased over three years and that violence was prevalent in Saturday morning children’s television programming.
December 1: A fatal shooting occurs at Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky. Violent video and computer games are implicated as influencing the violent behavior.

1998

March 24: A fatal shooting occurs at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Violent video and computer games are implicated as influencing the violent behavior.
April 3: The final report of the “National Television Violence Study” is published, concluding that television violence has increased since 1994, nearly 2 out of 3 programs contain violence, violent content is found more often in children’s programming than in adult programming, and certain violent plot elements are more harmful than others.

1999

President Bill Clinton Discusses Kids and Violence WASHINGTON: US President Bill Clinton speaks about a public service announcement campaign to get kids to talk about violence 17 August, 1999 at the White House in Washington, DC. The television ads will begin to air 17 August. (Credit: LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Images)

Media scholar Jib Fowles publishes The Case for Television Violence. He asserts that violent television does not cause aggression; rather, it provides an outlet for aggressive urges.

The Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) reports that there is an act of serious violence on television every four minutes.
April 20: A fatal school shooting occurs at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The violent video game Doom is implicated, as one of the perpetrators was a dedicated player.
April 21: A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows the majority of those polled believe that gun availability, negligent parents and violence in mass media are at least partially to blame for the school shootings in Littleton, Colorado.
April-May: Following the school shooting in Littleton, Colorado, television executives either pull or rework television programming deemed too violent. Several television networks reject television series that are considered too violent.
June 1: President Bill Clinton announces that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Justice Department will lead a study into the marketing practices of the television, film, video-game and other entertainment industries to ensure they are not marketing adult-rated material to children.
June 8: In light of the Clinton administration’s focus on violent media, the majority of movie theaters pledge to require photo identification from teenagers who try to purchase tickets for movies rated “R” or higher.
August: A Senate Judiciary Committee’s report states that violence in mass media inspires real-world violence.
August: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) proposes that pediatric physicians include questions regarding children’s media consumption as part of their routine health exams.
September 14: The Senate Judiciary Committee publishes “Children, Violence, and the Media: A Report for Parents and Policy Makers,” identifying violence in mass media as a major cause of youth violence.

2000

Kids Playing Violent Video Games A young boy watches a Pokemon video in his parent's home July 20, 2001, in Des Plaines, IL home. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

April: In two studies conducted by the APA, researchers conclude that violent video games may lead to increased aggression.
July: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, American Psychological Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, and American Psychiatric Association release a joint statement asserting that more than 1,000 studies confirm a link between violence in mass media and some children’s aggression.
September: Close to a dozen Japanese anime programs are part of major television networks’ cartoon programming. Many of the shows are criticized for their violent content.
September 11: The FTC releases its report “Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children: A Review of Self-Regulation and Industry Practices in the Motion Picture, Music Recording and Electronic Game Industries,” which examines myriad entertainment industries’ rating systems and marketing practices. Among other findings, the report concludes that industries market violent and otherwise inappropriate entertainment products to children.

2001

“Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General” states that violence in mass media may temporarily increase aggressive behavior in children.
April 24: The FTC releases its follow-up report to its initial “Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children.” This second study determines that the film and video-game industries have improved in their self-regulation, while the recording industry has not.
November: The American Academy of Pediatrics publishes its policy on media violence and its effects on children, maintaining that children’s exposure to violence in mass media significantly impacts their health.
December 5: The FTC releases its second follow-up report to its initial “Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children.” This third study praises the film and video-game industries for continued improvements in self-regulation and notes that the music industry has made slight improvements.

2002

A study commissioned by the MPAA and conducted by media expert Jonathan Freedman, in which Freedman analyzes decades of research on media violence and its effects, finds that the scientific evidence does not sustain the argument that media violence can be linked to children’s aggression.
March 29: Results of a 17-year longitudinal study, published in  Science magazine, show that teenagers whose television consumption exceeds one hour a day are almost four times as likely as other teenagers to commit aggressive acts as an adult.
May 14: CBS News broadcasts 15 seconds of Daniel Pearl alive from the video showing the reporter’s murder at the hands of an Islamic militant group. The State Department, Justice Department and Pearl’s family criticize the network.
June 28: The FTC releases its third follow-up report to its initial “Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children.” This fourth study shows continued progress in the film and video-game industries and notes the music industry’s inclusion of ratings in advertisements.
September: In a published cross-sectional study, researchers report a link between a child’s bullying and his or her exposure to television violence.

2003

March 9: The APA publishes its 15-year study on mass media violence’s effects on children. The study, one of the few following children into adulthood, concludes that children’s exposure to and perceptions of violent content correlates with their aggressive behavior as adults.
May: The Washington State House of Representatives pass legislation that would make selling violent video games to minors a finable offense.
May 5: Researchers at Iowa State University publish a study on violent imagery in music. Findings show that listening to music with violent lyrics increases aggressive moods and thoughts.
June 3: The United States Court of Appeals for St. Louis, Missouri, reverses a 2002 decision that criminalized the selling, renting or showing of graphically violent video games to minors. This 2003 decision establishes video games as protected by the First Amendment.
July 10: A federal judge rules that the Washington State law that would fine retailers for selling violent video games to minors is in violation of the First Amendment.
December: Citing escalating video-game violence and children’s access to violent video games, the American National Institute on Media and the Family’s 7th Media Wise Video Game Report Card gives the gaming industry its first overall “F” evaluation.

2004

March 5: Thirty-nine members of the House of Representatives send a letter to Michael Powell, FCC chairman, demanding a “notice of inquiry” on televised violence and its effects on children.
July 8: The FTC releases its fourth follow-up report to its initial “Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children.” This fifth study notes improvement in entertainment industries’ utilization of ratings information in advertisements.

2005

Video Game Still, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Two pieces of legislation are introduced in the Senate, the Family Entertainment Protection Act and the Indecent and Gratuitous and Excessively Violent Programming Control Act. Both are referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and do not become law.
July 25: Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich signs a law banning the sale of violent video games to minors, making the state the only one in the nation with such restrictions. Video-game industry organizations file a federal lawsuit challenging the new law.
August 9: Devin Moore is convicted of the 2003 triple homicide of three police officers. Moore’s defense was based on two factors, his being abused as a child and his addiction to violent video games, most notably Grand Theft Auto. He is sentenced to death by lethal injection on October 7.
August 12: Attorney Jack Thompson files a lawsuit against Sony on behalf of the families of two of Devin Moore’s victims. The civil suit, Strickland v. Sony, alleges that the video game Grand Theft Auto trained Moore how to kill. The third victim’s family eventually joins the case.
August 17: The American Psychological Association releases a statement recommending that violence be eliminated from video games.
October: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signs the Violent Video Game Bill into law, prohibiting the sale of violent video games to minors.
December 21: U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte rules that California’s law prohibiting minors from buying violent video games is unconstitutional.

2006

A number of bills and laws that prohibit minors from purchasing violent video games are declared unconstitutional by federal courts, including in the states of Louisiana and Michigan.

2007

January 10: The Parents Television Council publishes “Dying to Entertain,” a report on television violence. The eight-year study concludes that television violence continues to increase and is harmful to children.

April 25: The FCC releases its report, “In the Matter of Violent Television and Its Impact on Children,” confirming previous studies’ findings that violence in mass media contributes to children’s aggressive behavior and noting that the ratings system and V-chip technology do not protect children from violent programming. The report recommends establishing regulations that do not violate the First Amendment.
June 26: The Senate Commerce Committee addresses issues raised by the April FCC report in a hearing on violent programming’s effects on children.
August 6: A California state law that would prohibit minors from purchasing or renting violent video games is declared unconstitutional by a federal judge.
September 5: The Parents Television Council declares that television’s “family hour” contains unsuitable content for children, including sex and violence.

2008

March 17: A Minnesota state law that would prohibit minors from purchasing or renting violent video games is declared unconstitutional by a federal judge.
August: In a study published in Pediatrics, Dartmouth College researchers report that, on average, 12.5 percent of 10- through 14-year-old children have viewed films rated R for violence.

2009

October: Venezuelan National Assembly passes legislation to prohibit violent video games and toys. The ban comes as a response to unabated high rates of violent crime, which added up to nearly 8,000 homicides in 2008.
December: An FTC report on the marketing of violent entertainment to children finds that marketers of violent, music, and video games can do more to restrict the promotion of their products to children.

2010

          May: A study conducted by the Children and Families Research Centre at Macquarie University in Australia finds that songs with violent lyrics make people who hear them up to four times more aggressive.