(U-WIRE) STILLWATER, Okla. - Climbing to the top of the building, a man gets out his sniper rifle and aims for a bum stumbling around.

Point, click, squeeze and the bum doesn’t have a head anymore. One or two seconds later, the cops are called and they chase the man down. One grenade takes care of them. The bazooka takes care of the helicopter shooting from above.

Soon, the FBI is out and on the man’s tail and when it fails, the tank provided by the army finally ends the rampage.

This is a typical scene from the video game, “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City,” and is an example of violence in the media, something researchers have concluded increases aggressive behavior.

But some students don’t think they have become more aggressive because of violence in the media.

Richard Potts, an associate professor of psychology at Oklahoma State University who studies mass media, said the amount of violence in the media, particularly television media, hasn’t changed much over the past 30 years.

He said the number and influence of violent acts might be higher because of video game violence, which hasn’t been studied as much as television and movies.

Although violence is a constant issue, Potts said even incidents like the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., have not done much to permanently lower the amount of violence in the media.

“The general public is still largely unaware of the problem,” he said. Potts said violence in the media influences aggressive behavior in young children more than adults, but it still does have an influence on older people.

He said the television rating system is a good step toward helping parents censor children’s television viewing habits, but there are still a lot of parents who don’t monitor or care what children watch or play.

According to a 2001 report from the U.S. Department of Education, 18 percent of responding fourth-graders said they watched more than six hours of television a day.

Out of those who watched six hours or more, males watched 47 percent more than females.

Thirteen percent of white students said they watched more than six hours while 42 percent of African-American students said they did, which is 223 percent more.

Some OSU students said they don’t think they have more aggressive tendencies because of media violence.
“I would have to say that sometimes on CNN or stuff like that when they show appendages laying everywhere it affects me negatively,” said Megan Newell, English and secondary education junior.

“I don’t think they should show that much but if we’re talking about violence in movies and video games and things of that nature, I don’t think that’s that big of a deal because they’re unrealistic.”
Newell said she does think it affects younger children more and parents should monitor what children watch, but she doesn’t think college students are affected.

“I don’t necessarily think (it increases violent thoughts),” said Brian German, agriculture communications senior.
“I think it’s often an excuse people make for violent behavior.”