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HAPPY

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Alice

Law

VIOLENCE

Happy Violence
Childrens shows contain more
violence than any other type of
programming. Shows designed
for kids have about 32 violent acts
per hour.

(Gerbner)

Happy Violence
From the ages of 3 to 16, children
spend more time in front of the
television set than they spend in
school.

(Gerbner)

Happy Violence
94 percent of childrens shows
contained violence. In other words,
programs targeted to young viewers
have the most violent content.

(Gerbner)

Adventure Time
2010 - Present
Target: 2-11 years old +

Spongebob Squarepants
1999 - Present
Target: 2-11 years old

Theories:

1. Social Learning Theory

(Bandura)
2. Desensitization to
Violence

1. Social Learning Theory (Bandura)

Children are more likely
to re-create behavior
if character was
attractive
if behavior was
rewarded

CLIP

2. Desensitization to Violence
Weve all seen the studies
Exposure to violence makes
us more violent and more
accepting to violence.
But are these shows violent enough to cause an effect?

Methods:
Scene: 15 seconds

What we coded for:

1. Is Scene Valid (Act of Violence
Present)?
2. Is Violence discussed?
3. Is Violence practiced?
4. Who Initiated Violence?
5. Is a weapon used?
6. Is blood present?
7. Was death a result?
8. Is Violence Rewarded in any way?
9. Is Violence Justified?

Coding Sheet

Adventure Time
130 Episodes

Coded 4 Episodes
Jake Suit
Too Young
Beautopia
Beyond This Earthly Realm
11 minutes per episode

Spongebob
178 Episodes

Coded 4 Episodes
New Student Starfish
Nature Pants
Welcome to the Chum Bucket
Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy II
11 minutes per episode

Intercoder Reliability Scores

Used Percentage of Agreement over

Krippendorfs Alpha.

Coding Sheet

Findings:
Number of violent
scenes in Adventure
Time is higher than
Spongebob
Squarepants.

About 32 Violent Acts?

*32 acts of
violence
per hour

Findings:
There is an
upward trend of
no. of violent
scenes as the
series goes on.

Sequel effect?

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Findings:
More violent acts in
Adventure Time are
justified (good vs bad guys).
Spongebob violence less
justified, more slapstick.

Justified?

# of
Scenes
Where
Violence
is
Justified

Findings:
More violence was
rewarded in
Adventure Time,
but rewarded
violence
represented a
small portion of
total violence.

Rewarded?

Findings:
There is one death in
both Adventure Time
and Spongebob (both
monsters).
Blood, weapons, and
death are very limited
in both shows.

Further Discussion:
Coding how many violent acts
instead of number of scenes
Attractiveness level of
characters (Social Learning
Theory)
Better code for initiator of the
violent act (Lowest intercoder
reliability)
Code for Gender

The End