The role of mass media socialisation in juvenile delinquency

Abstract

When It comes to the basic perspectives on personal and social reality, it is commonly assumed that these perspectives are learned within the parent-child relafionship. As a result, the family has been typically accorded a place of primary importance the explanation of socialisation. But another influence has been lurking in the background- the mass media . Media influence upon ~hildren has generally been assumed to be significant, with powerful, long lasting consequences. However, traditional explanatory attempts have predominantly dealt with the effects of media violence on juvenile behaviour. The result has been a relative neglect of empirical analysis of media socialisation as it relates to detinquent behaviour. a matter that the present study attempted to rectify. The present study proposes that the media's commitment to conformity varies in degree of congruence with societal expectations and this variation is directly "transmitted to the child influencing the child's behaviour.