Sociology

Purpose of the study
The main purpose of this study is to examine the linkage between the violent behaviour among youth in todays society and the internet plus other media. As technology advances and internet resources spreading all over the world, the young generation is getting exposure to online violence and media aggressiveness. This has made them potentially vulnerable to negative experiences online and on the media. Its of great importance for parents and the authority to   understand the internet violence exposures and factors related to the influence of youth violent behaviours. This report will primarily investigate the association involving internet with the changing behaviour among youth in the society.

Literature Review
Violence among youth is an important social issue that has affected individuals, families and the community as whole in a negative manner. Approximations of indirect and direct costs associated with youth violence in the United States of America have hit a value of more than 150billion annually. In 2003 alone, about 15  of the violent crime victims arrested in the United States were as result of juvenile cases.

Research carried out on  the development of aggressive behaviour and violence  shows that serious crimes occurs through a union of factors that comprises of poor performance in school, genetic factors, peer pressure, poor parent-child relationships and the communityneighbours violence. Youth exposure to the internet and the media cannot be singled out as the prior reason for youth violence today but its probably the solitary most easily remediable contributing aspect. After a comprehensive investigation of the existing research, researchers have made a conclusion that the scientific discussion over the media violence adds up to violence and aggression is essentially over. The research underscored the necessity for studies indicating the magnitude of the effects of media violence on the more intense categories of violence.

More and more youths are increasingly using he internet with little knowledge on how the exposure to online violence shapes their understanding on the influence of violent media. The use of internet is rapidly becoming the telephone of the 21st century with an approximation of close to 97 youths using online communications. Nearly all young people in the society today have access to the internet .this increase the chances of exposure to online violonce.Hate pages is an example of websites that promote discrimination against some specific categories of people. Others include websites that report real violence has the potentiality of impacting cognitive styles that contribute to aggressive retorting among the youth.

Despite the abundant research activities that have taken place, there have been a lot of questions that have rose up creating gaps in the comprehending of the connection between violence in the media and violent behaviour. After considering the prolific evidence of the short-term results of aggression in the media, on the thoughts, arousal and feelings minimum research has considered the connection with violent behaviour amongst the youths. The aftermath of violence in the media on violence has also been noticed crawling to the younger children According to Craig. A et al report on the influence of media in todays youth summarizes that research on violent films and television, music and video games portrays undisputable evidence that media aggression increases the potentiality of youths becoming violent in both immediate and long term basis.

The influence may look huge for milder than for more adverse ways of violence but the effects on severe ways of violence are also substantial. This is in comparison with the effects of other aggressive contributing factors as well as medical aspects considered important by the medicine community. If someone is exposed to online and media violence only for a short while verbal and physical violent behaviour, aggressive thoughts and emotions may be noticeable in their characters. Frequent exposure especially during child hood May later in life cause the person exercise physical assaults and spouse abuse the report allegates. Nevertheless extreme exposure may lead to serious crimes that may see one become a victim of several years sentence in jail such as aggravated assaults, forcible rape, or even homicide.

Several researchers even those with well supported theories fail to mention when and why exposure to online and media violence intensifies aggression. Though, they do indicate that this exposure triggers the tendency to imitate the behaviours being experienced. The youth involuntary support the beliefs and social behaviours by reducing persons normal negative approach to violent response. Despite this, no one is totally immune to getting influenced by the media and online violence.

Surveys carried out recently show that there have been massive increases in violence in the internet today. More youths are spending most of their time consuming this violence. Conclusions have been that reducing the exposure to these violence will reduce the number of crimes, but less has been done on coming up with what ways that will facilitate the reduction.

Research methodology

Data collection techniques
Most youth in between the age bracket of 18-25 years have been exposed to the internet and media violence during their days of their lives at ultimately all parts of the world. The researcher conducted the study by use of content analysis. This was done using a collection of content material such as magazines news papers journal, books and the internet. Internet surveys were also conducted so as to gather the required   data. Youth respondents were sent invitation requests through an initial e mail-address with random identity using a self created poll online website. Youths were supposed to write short essays responding to the title in the subject matter plus answer some few questions. The response rate was computed as the number of youths who began the research divided by the number of invitations made via the e-mails minus any e-mail requests that were not accepted.

Youths who had use internet for at least six months and could read and write English were the required respondents. After consent was established, youths were supposed to respond to a 30 minute online survey. If the participating youth was in an environment where they could not answer the question with, they were requested to return the survey and respond later. Each youth who responded to the survey will receive a summary of the findings.

From the content material the researcher was able to gather the most serious crimes being committed in the United States today.( US Department of Justice, 2010) .For the exposure to violent media, youths were asked  whether they had visited any of the websites in (Appendix III ) in the past one year. This was to determine youth safety in internet. While conducting the study the main areas that the researcher was focusing at included the following and how they contribute to youth violence today.
Video and computer games
Radio and Music
Websites involving real people
Websites involving cartoons

Background variables comprised of
Individual- Youths were requested to give their age ethnicity, race, and average hours each spend on the internet, music, television and games.

Family- youths were asked about the relationship with their parent or guardians. (Appendix II)
School- youths gave estimated of the academic performances and school behaviour

Peers-youths gave responses to number of their friends who have committed crimes and haw many of them were arrested as a result of violence

Community-respondents were prompted to give the exposure to violence in the community by using various things from the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire.

Methodology
The data collected was analyzed statistically to reflect the population of youth aged between 18-25. This was classified according to gender, age, race ethnicity, region, education hours each on the internet. The main reasons as to why the researcher used this approach is because
It is relatively  easy to obtain access to the publication or broadcast
Its   less expensive an easy to build a representative sample
Content analysis technique produces highly reliable data that is easy to replicate.
It does not require direct interaction with people affected by the subject being studied.
Looking at the content of the information gathered from the U.S department of defence the researcher wanted to study the type of behaviours that are mostly reported in the stations. The following information was   the main focus
Behaviours likely to result to murder
Causes of aggravated assaults, robbery, or sexual assault
The number of youth violence  cases reported in annually

From the magazines, journals, books and emails responded by the youth the researcher wanted to determine how youths get exposed to media and internet violence. The following was being content was aimed at
The type of websites frequently visited by the youths.
The TV programs and music most youth listen to
the parent guardian relations in terms of  parent monitoring ,coerce discipline and the emotional bond when they were growing up
Approximated   relations between online and media violence and influence it causes towards youth being violent was reported.

Analysis and Findings

Analysis
Point estimates and proportions reported were weighted and described as below. As expected in the 48 of the young people who responded to the online survey were males and females of 18-25 years. Family, school, individual, community and peer characteristics of the sample and how they relate in accordance to the concurrent report of adverse violent behaviour are shown in (appendix III)

Exposure to violence online
Out of the youth who responded, the researcher found out that 38 of them were exposed to greater than or equal to one type of violent website3  were confirmed to have visited greater than or equal to three types of websites exposures. Cases of youth who have visited websites with serious violent behaviours increased by 50  .With each increase in the number of types of violence websites visited. Appendix III represents the frequency of exposure to websites containing violent content.

Exposure to online violence in comparison to other media
48 of the youth shown that most, many or all of greater equal to one type of   media asked has contexts of violence. The violent behaviour increased by 64 as the number of several types of media for which youth gave many, most or all exposures were violent (appendix II) shows the frequency at which youth reported exposure to violence in the internet Appendix IV shows the relative odds of adverse aggressive behaviour with several levels of violence exposure.

The link between online violence and violent behaviour
In Appendix IV the relative odds of adverse behaviour with exposure to online violence is depicted.6 of the young people who shown greater that or equal to one type of exposure to online violence  reported adverse  aggression in comparison to  the 4 of the young people with minimal or less exposure to the inter net .8 of the youth who visit websites containing violence contexts such as discrimination ,death war or terrorism reported to have adverse violent behaviour in comparison to 3 of the youths who never or are not exposed to these websites.

Distinctive effects of media related violence in the perspective of other risk Aspects
Several youths who visited websites containing contexts such as people fighting, shooting killings more likely became 5 times violent more than the youths who never visited such websites at all. Taking individuals, family school, peer and the community into characteristics into account, all those exposure to violent media were no significantly related to serious behaviour when underlying.

Findings
In this study of 18-25 year old youths, serious adverse violent behaviours such as robbery, sexual assault, shooting and aggravated assaults were associated with the exposure to the media violence.   This relationship is mostly depicted in games, internet, music and from the television. The researcher findings shows that the increasing evidence that most violence is acquired from the media is true and it of great importance to look at the violence prevention. In a broader perspective inter net violence has continuously contributed to violent behaviours amongst youths significantly. Indeed considering all factors such as poor parenting, peer pressure, poor parent child relationship, the internet has contributed mainly in the increment of violence in our community today. Websites containing real people engaging in violence had more influence than websites containing cartoons engaging in violent activities.

Exposure to real violence in the internet that depicts real people is more interactive than any other type of crime exposure has more effect on the youth behaviour. Cartoon is a relatively interactive but do not depict real people. Violence in the television may be realistic but not interactive. This explains why the  internet is the strongest association for promoting crime in our society today since it  a simultaneously interactive environment involving real time  chatting with peers at the same time watching videos. The internet and other emerging Medias such as the play stations deserve extra research on the same context.

Despite these results it should be noted that there is quite a number of youths who have never visited or even heard of these websites containing violent materials. Actually lack of knowledge on the existence  of such websites is quite a protective measure against the aggressive behaviour. Parents and guardians face quite a tough challenge though its duty to make sure their children are not exposed t o these violent media. If the youth mention having heard or visited these websites the parents should make sure that they discus and help them understand the adverse influence they may cause in their lives. They should relate this to the context of the real world situations and talk about the seriousness of the matter in the common life experiences. This will help the youth to  learn and choose what is right.

Other factors leading to violent behaviour among youths reported by the youths as expected included school peer, community and family risk factors. From the findings community   violence exposed many youths to  violence in a  manner associated by  consumption of violence from  the media. This includes television programs and  music unlike the community violence which the parents and guardians cannot control, they have the ability to control exposure to the internet violence the use of software filtering and blocking some sites should be ensured.
 
According to the researchers findings most of the youth gets exposed to online and media violence at a tender age that is from age of five. If the parents do control what their children view at the point it will be very difficult to reverse by the time they are teenager. during   teenage period they start showing rebellion and some of the aggressive behaviours acquired and before they get  into young adults they are practicing serious crimes that can sent them to jail .it is of great importance to for parents to know what contents their children are exposed to in order to shape them into responsible junior and senior citizen. The government should also intervene so as to enforce  laws on the media bodies and control what is aired to the citizens to view.
Basing these findings with those of the past, the researcher can easily conclude that the internet and the media have direct influence on the behaviour of the youth in todays lives. Action should be taken in order to minimize aggressive behaviours and to reduce the number of youth being convicted due to this kind of exposure.

Critique of the study
Generally, the media and the internet are very important resources of getting information and knowledge. They have so much to offer to the youthful generation in a way tat if used adequately and in the correct manner young people can gains and benefit in many ways. These two powerful resources tend to increase the cognitive attitudes, values and behaviours of individuals who use them wisely promoting good behaviour as well. Practically, youths use the internet to connect with friends and families express individuality and even access resourceful information in their education. The internet provides a lot of opportunities to the youth some of them are even income generating. For example they can use the internet to post eye catching pictures and videos captures with content that  is valuable and post them to websites that buy such and earn some revenue out  of it. The media too gives the youth a learning experience that enables them to grow physically, spiritually and even emotionally. Some television and radio programmes engage youth in interactive forums where they can discuss pressing issues in the society that affects them and the society at whole

So its of great significance to note that inter net and radio despite the evils that they can cause in the society they still can bring development and improve the youth behaviour and life style too. Other media such as video games helps the youth to improve cognitive skills by enabling them to exercise their brains. They also bring youth together and play simulation games such as soccer, tennis, golf, basket ball giving them a real imaginative experience same as the one experienced in the pitch by real players. The new technology that involves 3D images becomes quite interesting. Nevertheless, as much as the media is criticized there is good thing that comes out of it after all.