Hi Torgil,

On one side, many believe that exposure to violence and violent imagery is reflected to a greater degree by our increasingly violent society.

On the other hand, many believe that exposure to violent images on television is a preventative measure. As in having seen how certain types of violence result prevents many from curiousity and perhaps in extreme cases wishing to expericence its effects.

One could argue Torgil that in order to give a full and thorough speech one might discuss all aspects of the subject, from all sides.

May I ask the orientation of the speech?

Then I think I would begin with something along the lines of asking your audience:

"What’s the most violent thing you’ve ever seen on television?

• A murder?
• An assassination?
• A deadly explosion?
• A war report on the nightly news?
• Perhaps a rape?
• Perhaps a gang rape?

Whatever it was, the chances are, that image is etched in your memory.

As balanced people we know those images won’t do us any harm. Don't we? And we know those images certainly couldn't do our children any harm since they are either too young to understand or too violent for them to relate too?

Or do we?

Could it be that even balanced people such as ourselves are somehow affected by TV violence?"

A good point Torgil.

It is a very hot topic at the moment that video games and violence is affecting children and youth cultures and glorifying it.

One only has to think of video game titles such as Grand Theft Auto, which is now more reknowned for it's viloence and encouragement of violence to get what you want and violence for violence sake in that the usr is encouraged to simply beat and hurt virtual characters to steal cars and beat them for no other reason other than entertainment value.

One could easily argue that encouraging children to endorse violence towards others simply for entertainment value, whether in the virtual world or the real world, provides no other purpose other than to glorify it and to transform it into a "fun" thing to do.

I think this subject has a very real part to play in a speech about violence on tv.