Youth violence has experts scrambling for explanations. No longer can youth violence be viewed as a primary urban inner city phenomenon.  The new youth murderer is younger (under 14), seeks to kill multiple victims in one episode and has no secondary motive, such as robbery. The primary objective is to kill or to harm. Risk factors typically associated with inner city youth are now extended to all youth. Weaponry is accessible to all. 
      This workshop presents the conceptual basis for the current conclusion by the American scientific community that exposure to T.V. and movie violence causes violent and aggressive antisocial behaviors in youth and in adults.  Over 40 years of research on the impact of visual imagery and models upon human behavior has provided additional insight into the potential risk of computer games and "comic" books with violent content, especially 3D and virtual reality interactive so-called "games", that may be more of a threat to public health and safety than traditional T.V. and video (National Television Violence Study I, II and III).
     The presentation explains what therapists, parents, the youth peer group, educators and the community can do in achievable practical interventions to help  prevent violent and aggressive behaviors in children and youth. The research has identified  9 contextual factors  of how violence is presented that makes it a threat to public health.  The research does not purport that T.V. Media Violence is the only root cause of youth aggression and violence. It may not even be the most important cause. But we have more control over media than other risk factors, such as poverty, racism or the Social Development Model. The presentation is 1½ hours in length with overhead projections, plus 30 minutes question and answer. There will be handouts.