EFFECT OF AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CRIMINOGENIC NATURE OF MASS COMMUNICATION

Abstract

The following paper deals with the criminogenic influence of media. Firstly, it considers the effect that passively received aggressive and violent media content has on the behaviour of its recipients in the real world. Secondly, it covers the occurrence of active use of aggression and violence via modern multimedia,
e.g. Internet or cellular network. Considering the diversity of outlooks on terms and genesis of aggression and violence, as well as theoretical assumptions and empirical findings, it cannot be said that presenting violence and aggression in media translates directly into behaviour of their recipients in social reality. It is necessary to take into account a number of indicated factors
co-conditioning their occurrence. Among indicated psychophysical factors there was receipients’ age, stage of their psychophysical development, intellect, mind’s perception, occurrence of characterological or personality disorders. A correlation of criminogenic influence of media with the presence of social factors, such as dysfunctions in the family environment as well as on different stages of the process of socialization, or in social and professional relationships, was also indicated. Furthermore, in the context of cyberspace, the favorable bidirectionality of mass communication was underlined, as it guarantees its recipients ongoing relations that have pro-social, but also antisocial
(including criminal) undertone.