Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill : A Call to Action Against TV, Movie and Video Game Violence

By Gloria Degaetano and Dave Grossman

Book Overview

There is perhaps no bigger or more important issue in America at present than youth violence. Jonesboro; Paducah; Pearl, Mississippi; Stamps, Arkansas; Conyers, Georgia; and, of course, Littleton, Colorado. We know them all too well, and for all the wrong reasons: kids, some as young as eleven years old, taking up arms and, with deadly, frightening accuracy, murdering anyone in their paths. What is going on? According to the authors of Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill, there is blame to be laid right at the feet of the makers of violent video games (called murder trainers by one expert), the TV networks, and the Hollywood movie studios--the people responsible for the fact that children witness literally thousands of violent images a day. Authors Lt. Col. Dave Grossman and Gloria DeGaetano offer incontrovertible evidence, much of it based on recent major scientific studies and empirical research, that movies, TV, and video games are not just conditioning children to be violent--and unaware of the consequences of that violence--but are teaching the very mechanics of killing. Their book is a much-needed call to action for every parent, teacher, and citizen to help our children and stop the wave of killing and violence gripping America's youth. And, most important, it is a blueprint for us all on how that can be achieved. In Paducah, Kentucky, Michael Carneal, a fourteen-year-old boy who stole a gun from a neighbor's house, brought it to school and fired eight shots at a student prayer group as they were breaking up. Prior to this event, he had never shot a real gun before. Of the eight shots he fired, he had eight hits on eight different kids. Five were head shots, theother three upper torso. The result was three dead, one paralyzed for life. The FBI says that the average, experienced, qualified law enforcement officer, in the average shootout, at an average range of seven yards, hits with less than one bullet in five. How does a child acquire such killing ability? What would lead him to go out and commit such a horrific act? From the Hardcover edition. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0804139350
• ISBN13: 9780804139359
• Release Date: August 2014
• Publisher: Harmony
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Clearing up the media violence issue once and for all

Ever heard the expression"Don't knock it till you've tryed it"? Well that should apply here. All the people who love this book: Have you played a lot of videogames? No, you say? Many people have this idea that most videogames are"Run around and shoot anything that moves" type of games. First off, there are many genres other then action: Racing, Sports, Adventure, Puzzles, RPGs,etc. Second off, even most action games involve...

An insightful and informative book

This book is direct and to the point demonstrating how our society is being taught to accept violence and killing. Those who would ignore root problems and chose to look at symtoms of the issues of violence and killing take the simplistic view of placing blame on firearms and not at the mindset of people who wield the firearms. More importantly is why people, especially young people, are so quick to turn to violent and...

Well Done !

As a person interested in martial arts/proactive personal protection, the psychological and physiological responses to critical incidents and having had the opportunity to study the research of/work with several the best masters and combat instructors in the world; one who has worked in pubs and has had to short circuit, defuse and quell many brawls; a teacher who has worked with a large number of students considered...

Stop and Think

I have always been on of the many who have rolled our eyes when people take up arms against media violence. I have said time and again that it is the parent's responsibilty, not the entertainment industry's, to monitor what their children watch, read, see and do. To some degree, I still believe that holds true. However, this book has given me great cause to think about those ideas. It was extrremely well written and researched...

A powerful, coherent book

As a former reporter, I'm probably conditioned to be skeptical of claims that media violence is a problem. I was skeptical until I heard Colonel Grossman, then read his book. There is no doubt in my mind that Grossman is substantially right in his assertions. I now work for Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan, who, after consulting with Grossman, successfully urged at least two national chains, Sears and Montgomery Ward,...