By 1985 prime-time television reached and all-time high with 13 violent acts per hour and 55 percent of programming high in violence (Leon, 162). With this noticeable increase in violence appearing in television programs, the juvenile crime rate has increased. It is very evident to see that television and juvenile violence go hand and hand.
Turn on the TV any time of any day and one can bring a carnival of murder, mayhem, and bloodshed right into the living room. Maybe, like many Americans, one has grown accustomed to it and expects it (Barbour, 25). If only one would step back and look at this through the eyes of a child and consider what role TV has played in their lives. It is easy to see what a menace TV violence really is. The average American 4 to 8 years old will view 250 episodes of war cartoons and 1,000 commercials for war toys this year. Which is the equivalent to 22 hours of classroom instruction in exciting, pro-war entertainment (Leon, 163). Kids" television has become, perhaps, the media's best conduit for controversial memes. The shows, their styles, and their characters serve as innocuous veneers for the hidden agendas of their creators (Rushkoff, 101). People feel many emotions such as curiosity, revenge, and rebellion. To a child there is one emotion that overpowers all others, acceptance. Children are born with instinctive capacity and desire to imitate adult behaviors (Grossman, 59). Emotional images are more likely to stick with a child rather than an educational show (Grossman, 61). After some surveys it was noted that 40% of the violent characters, on TV, possess qualities that make them attractive role models, 40% of the violent scenes have humor in them, and 1/3 of the "bad guys" don't get punished (Grossman, 43). As a result, the children observe these behaviors as acceptable ways to act, better yet they might be looked at as more popular, and attractive. Children also have a difficult time telling the difference between reality and fantasy.