SPEECH OUTLINE

The following outline is based on a speech by Alina Gisca of Gadsden State Community College.
Topic:

TV Violence

General Purpose:

To Persuade

Specific Purpose:

To persuade my audience that violence in the media affects violence in society.

Thesis:

Many people believe that TV violence has a negative effect on society

because it promotes brutality, force especcialy among children who tend to
depict in real life whats advertised through television, magazines, and the internet.

INTRODUCTION
I.

Attention Getter:
Have you ever taken notice on how much the media has influenced your life growing up?
Television can be a major influence in behavioral growth and forming values. Sadly, more than 60 percent
of television programs contain violence, it seems as if no matter what show you watch there is always
some sort of violence going on.

II.

Thesis Statement:
Nowadays television is used as an inexpensive baby sitter that keeps children entertained, the problem is
that many parents do not realize the type of content that the show has or the negative effect it might have
on their children. The violence on television needs to be limited, especially in childrens programming.

III.

Preview of Main Points:

A. The societys addiction to television.
B. The amount of violence there actually is on television.
C. Violence in the media affects violence in society.
BODY
A. Americans are constantly consumed by the media.
1. According to this latest research, people in the U.S. check their Facebook, Twitter,
and other social media accounts a staggering 17 times a day, meaning at least once
every waking hour, if not more.
2. Each day children spend approximately 6.5 hours with media.
Transition: what are these children viewing in these 6.5 hours?
B. In many TV shows and products, the violent images are the majority, even if they are comedy or
drama.
1. 61 % of TV programs contain some violence - in these violent shows approximately
75% of the perpetrators received no punishment for their actions
2. 60 90% of the most popular video games are based on violent themes
3. By the age of 18 one had witnessed 200,000 separate acts of violence with 40,000 of
those acts being murders.

Transition: Taking into consideration everything that we watch daily we cannot neglect that TV violence
does not influence the evolution of our society.
C. Media is very influential on ones actions:
1. Children imitate what they see. (ex: There are always little kids running after each
other playing cops and robbers, and fighting with each over)
2. Children use violent solutions. (ex: Children usually think that if TV characters can
work out their problems by using violence, then they can too)
3. More research has shown that viewing violent acts:
Decreases the viewers concerns about the victims suffering
Decreases the viewers sensitivity to violent acts
Increases the desire to depict the aggressive acts from media in real life;
Ex: Mark Twitchell, 31 years old, is on trial for murder. He was obsessed with the show Dexter, who was
portrayed as a serial killer. Twitchell wanted to be just like him and planned detailed descriptions of how
he was going to become a serial killer. It was said he did not know the difference between fantasy and
reality.
CONCLUSION
I.
Review of main points
The media has a huge influence on ones actions, therefore, when violent images are constantly being
seen on the screen it ultimately guides one to perform violent acts, leading to the increased amount of
violence in our society.
II.
Final Remark
All these TV violence is unnecessary; children are already getting a negative feeling from the disasters
going on in the world. So we can avoid these by monitoring childs programs, surround them with
different activities, and teach them about the negative effects of violence.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lawyer says 9-year old bank robber was influenced by TV crime, online. Accessed April 12, 2016.
Available at http://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/02/nyregion/lawyer-says-9-year-old-bank-robber-wasinfluenced-by-tv-crime.html
Dexter Copycat Kills Man, "My Progression into A Serial Killer", online. Accessed April 12, 2016.
Available at http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/57439468.html
Preventing Violence by Teaching Non-Violent Problem Solving, online. Accessed April 12, 2016.
Available at http://www.apa.org/
Media Violence, online. Accessed April 12, 2016.
Available at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/108/5/1222
Children and Electronic Media, online. Accessed April 12, 2016.
Available at
https://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/journals/article/index.xml?
journalid=32&articleid=60&sectionid=291