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-   -   What Prompts Violence In Society? (http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/vbz/showthread.php?t=80919)

Go_Oilers_Go 10-27-2007 10:57 PM

What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
Aside from acts of violence being spontaneous, what do you guys feel is an influence on the uprise of violence - especially on youth?

Although this isn't the greatest example, about a year ago there was some cab driver from the Middle East who was two days from getting his Canadian citizenship. He was a cab driver in Toronto, by the way. Anyhow, one night he was driving looking for fares and doing whatever cab drivers do. But on this fateful night he was hit by a car that was going way over the speed limit. The car was driven by two teens and in the front of the car was a Need for Speed game.

I feel that this example is still relevant to the thread topic because I believe that violent video games are an influence on violent acts nowadays.

massflavour 10-27-2007 11:12 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
Imo, violent video games are what people who end up being violent (probably) tend to play in order to relieve stress, until eventually it builds up so much that they just snap. I think that people see the games in a different way. They're assuming that it's the prime contributing factor in violence in teens, which it may be a factor of, but definitely not the main cause. I think that the violence you're referring to violence is caused by stress building up from work piling up from school, or a job, and having unstable relationships (e.g. abusive parents/guardians, breaking up with their girlfriend/boyfriend). Most people might handle the two better than others, which explains why violent adolescents are a minority, although it depends what kind of violence it is. With stuff like school shootings, I'd assume that they did it cause they got picked on, had tough relationships, etc. but with stuff like just little fights, it might be over something mutual, like money, or merely to boost ego (that's what I've seen alot of, anyway).


off topic, but did you make this thread because of the recent shooting?

Go_Oilers_Go 10-27-2007 11:24 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
No, but now that you mention it I probably subconciously did. I can't believe that the kid would've done that. His dad told me that he just randomly went downhill really fast.

Maid 10-27-2007 11:35 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
Actually humans are inherently violent, and even more so in the past. We are less violent now, as opposed to when masses had less education.

Go_Oilers_Go 10-28-2007 01:41 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
If by events in the past, you're referring to various revolutions that have taken place, I would tend to disagree with you. Although I agree that the masses did have less education in that time, I do not feel that that is the main cause of their violence. In the instances of revolution there is always a group of people that has been either oppressed or unfairly treated. However, the only way for the people to make any changes would be to violently overthrow the current regime. In the past it has also been intelligent people that have been leading these revolutions; they're not idiots. Thus, the smart people were able to spur the mob into using violent means to get what they want, and then the mob mentality kicks in. So in the instances that you're referring to then I'd have to say that the people are not inherently violent, rather, they are just doing what they see fit to create what they believe to be a just society.

Please correct me if I'm wrong and you were referring to other events in the past aside from revolutions.

FallenXxRaven 10-28-2007 01:53 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
I agree with Massflavour and Maid. Humans ARE violent creatures, though today we control it, mainly because of the justice system, IMO. If you pissed off a Roman soldier, he wouldn't ignore it or try to talk to you, he would just kill you. Even today there is little "talking", as we can see with wars and fights. We killed Saddam for things that didn't even concern us (though I'm not saying he didnt deserve it, genociadal bastard). But it shows that we ARE, in fact, violent by nature. Think about it, how many times have you thought "I'd really liek to beat the **** out of / kill that guy", but known it would land you in jail, so you didn't?

Quote:

Imo, violent video games are what people who end up being violent (probably) tend to play in order to relieve stress, until eventually it builds up so much that they just snap.
I agree. People that play violent video games to releive stress will, with enough stress buildup, probably decide to commit an act of violence. If someone gets pissed and plays Grand Theft Auto to calm down, they will probably think something along the lines of "If that's just a game, what would it feel like to really beat someone to death?" and most likely choose to find out, especially if they have a warped sense of right and wrong, which is why people who hav ehad violence in their past, whether towards them, or have seen acts of violence, are especially likely to commit an act of violence.

ShastaTwist 10-28-2007 03:28 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
There is no way to prove that the media has really contributed to the violence that we see these days. Through studies it has been proven that people were more violent a few decades ago as opposed to now. The reason for this may be because of video games rather than not, due to the stress relieving factor that games such as CounterStrike, Halo, and Grand Theft Auto offer us. These games allow us to get our stress out in violent ways without us really having to go out and commit the violent actions in real life.

We learn more through observation, as seen in the Bobo Doll experiment by Bandura. In the experiment, children were put with either an aggressive adult who is punished, an aggressive adult who is praised, or a non-aggressive adult (control group). The study found that kids who were with the punished aggressive adult were less likely to beat up the Bobo doll while the kids who were with the praised aggressive adult were more likely to beat up the Bobo doll. The control group varied according to the child.

Thus, we learn through observation. Perhaps the first kids who committed school shootings and other violent crimes were influenced by television, but other kids who heard and saw the repercussions of the actions were discouraged to commit such crimes for fear of the punishment.

Relambrien 10-28-2007 04:47 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
I'll post in here what I posted in the Violent Video Games thread:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/viort.htm
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance.htm
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/gvc.htm

Violence has decreased since the early 90s, not increased. Devonin has stated that violence as reported on the news has increased 600% or something, but violence itself has decreased drastically.

So don't blame video games for an increase in violence that doesn't even exist.

massflavour 10-28-2007 04:49 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
I don't recall anyone saying it has increased.

In this thread, anyway

Relambrien 10-28-2007 04:50 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by massflavour (Post 1854920)
I don't recall anyone saying it has increased.

Ahem:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Go_Oilers_Go
Aside from acts of violence being spontaneous, what do you guys feel is an influence on the uprise of violence - especially on youth?


ShastaTwist 10-28-2007 04:50 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Relambrien (Post 1854918)
I'll post in here what I posted in the Violent Video Games thread:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/viort.htm
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance.htm
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/gvc.htm

Violence has decreased since the early 90s, not increased. Devonin has stated that violence as reported on the news has increased 600% or something, but violence itself has decreased drastically.

So don't blame video games for an increase in violence that doesn't even exist.

Did you read my post or are you just reiterating what I said?

massflavour 10-28-2007 04:53 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Relambrien (Post 1854922)
Ahem:

oh okay I was hoping you'd correct me if I was wrong, lol

Relambrien 10-28-2007 04:53 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by ShastaTwist (Post 1854923)
Did you read my post or are you just reiterating what I said?

I was responding to Go_Oilers_Go and massflavour, not you. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Think of what I posted as corroborating evidence :P

lord_carbo 10-28-2007 05:31 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
Some people assume that ____s influence people to do x without assuming that their appeal to ____s may be in light of their eminent fate to do x. E.g. Say I shot a person and I like guns. I might like guns because I'm violent, but who's to say guns made me violent?

Go_Oilers_Go 10-28-2007 06:16 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
If, as some people argue, we are inherently violent but we control our violence through the justice system, then what is it that drives people over the edge?

This thread isn't intended to argue whether or not violence has increased or decreased; sorry if I gave the wrong impression. Rather, this thread was made to discuss what we feel are contributing causes to violence in society.

ShastaTwist 10-28-2007 08:02 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
It doesn't have to be anything huge or detrimental that drives someone over the edge. You could just be having a bad day and something so infinitesimal as a spoon sitting on the counter could make you attack anyone in your path.

The straw that broke the camel's back, anyone?

Relambrien 10-28-2007 08:10 PM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by ShastaTwist (Post 1855131)
The straw that broke the camel's back, anyone?

Stole the words from my mouth.

Anyway, things contributing to violence in society...well, I'd have to say that competition is one. In most, if not all, species of animals, there is some kind of competition to determine which of a group is strongest or most apt. Rams headbutt each other, for instance.

Humans are similar. When someone is really annoyed or angry, and someone just does something that drives them past their limit, it's a natural instinct to prove dominance to the person who performed the act. Why? The act has the effect of an act of aggression towards the person, and so the person responds in kind, with proof of dominance through physical superiority.

That's my take on things anyway.

MarukuAntoni 10-29-2007 03:15 AM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
someone told me that in japan, crime is lower than other countries because of the horror films they watch. they say that the gore in horror movies disgust them and therefore prevent them from committing crimes that cause others to bleed.
i find this to be a load of crap though. i think its a ploy to get others to watch japanese horror movies. however i do watch japanese horror movies because theyre cool.

many factors prompt many to commit violent acts. many say video games and parenting. it can also be the competitive spirit in others. someone talks crap about the opposing team, thus initiating a conflict with a fan of the opposing side.

tsugomaru 10-29-2007 03:33 AM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
It is society itself. Go figure.

Most people who are violent have a reason to be and not only is it a reason, it's a good one. During some point of their life, they were treated very unfairly and after one violent action, that's it for them. Today's society has no mercy on the unfairly treated, no kindness is shown to the broken hearts of the assailant.

Take VATech. The guy was pretty messed up, but was it really his fault he acted the way he did? Partially yes, partially no. Sometime during his childhood, he probably wasn't accepted by his peers causing him to distrust those around him. When he got into college, people did try to reach out to him, but he turned everyone's help away.

~Tsugomaru

ShastaTwist 10-29-2007 03:45 AM

Re: What Prompts Violence In Society?
 
Tsugomaru, we are taught the difference between "right" and "wrong" and I find it very hard to believe that these people would be able to suitably justify that their actions are "right."


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