28 March 2002

Green Broadcasting Spokesperson Sue Kedgley is calling for the TVNZ charter to ban the screening of programmes which sensationalise violence or use violence to shock gratuitously.

She presented her submission to the Commerce Select committee today which is reviewing the Television New Zealand Bill.

"Currently there is nothing in the new charter that calls on TVNZ to avoid screening programmes which feature over-the-top violence.

"Surely, state owned television must take a lead in ensuring that our children are not exposed to violent and harmful television content."

Ms Kedgley said the evidence of a link between television violence and violent behaviour continues to grow.

"More than half of New Zealand children surveyed recently said television violence is their number one concern about television, and 55 percent saw it as disturbing, distasteful and potentially harmful," she said.

"ACT and National are happy to call for longer sentences and to "get tough on crime", but to make real change, we have to address the underlying causes of rising violence.

"The overwhelming majority of studies into television violence have concluded that children who regularly see violent television programmes become less sensitive to the suffering of others and the effects of violence; are likely to see aggressive behaviour as a normal and acceptable part of life; and to become more aggressive themselves."

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