A reasoned
judgement
Come to a reasoned judgement as to how likely
it is that violent films lead to violent behavior.
Corroboration and conflict
Corroborative
evidence:
- The
“Sun” and the “Daily Mail” claimed that the boys had been watching violent
horror videos when they were bunking off school.
· - The
boys watched Childs Play 3 before the murder. The Sun and other tabloids claimed that there were significant
similarities between scenes in the film and the killing of James Bulger.
· - Elizabeth
Newson, a professor of child psychology concluded that there is a strong link
between violent films and real-life violence and that violent films can lead to
violent behavior.
Conflicting
evidence:
· - Pollice
detectives rejected any suggestions that “horror” videos had influenced the
boys’ behavior.
· - The
police found no evidence to indicate that the boys had watched Child’s Play 3. They looked at all the
movies in the house and checked a list of their rentals from shop. They didn’t find
Childs Play 3.
· - Elizabeth
Newson´s theory was the other way round. A violent home background can lead to violent
behavior which, in turn, is likely to lead to a preference for violent films.
Balance of Evidence
Sources which support the conclusion that the
homicide was produced because of violent films:
·
Daily Mail had been conducting a campaign
against “video nasties”-violent horror films which they claimed had a harmful
effect on children.
·
Judge
mentioned that one of the stepfathers had a collection of violent videos.
·
The
Sun and the Daily Mail claimed that the boys had been watching violent horror
videos.
·
The
stepfather of one of the boys had rented a copy of Child’s Play 3 a week before the murder.
·
The
Sun explicitly stated that the boys
had watched Child’s Play 3 before the
murder (similar as the violent event)
Sources which support the conclusion that
the homicide was produced because of violent background:
- The
two boys had troubled backgrounds with their families.
· - Both
families lived in poverty. Both boys were neglected by their parents and
resented their brothers and sisters. Both had been put back a year at school
and frequently truanted.
· - Police
detectives rejected any suggestions that “horror” videos had influenced the
boys’ behavior.
· - Police
found no evidence to show that the boys had watched Child´s Play 3
· Team
of psychologists concluded that a violent home background can lead to violent behavior,
which is likely to lead to a preference for violent films.
Weight of evidence
More likely(4):
·
Stepfather
with collection of violent horror movies
·
The
two boys had troubled backgrounds with their families
·
Police
detectives rejected that horror videos influenced in the case
·
A
violent home background can lead to violent behavior.
Less likely(3):
·
Sun
and Daily Mail said that the boys had been watching horror videos at home
·
Stepfather
rented Child´s Play 3 one week before the murder
·
The
Sun stated that the boys watched
Child´s Play 3 before the murder
Quality of evidence
·
Police
found no evidence that they watched the movie
·
Conclusion
from group of psychologists
·
Both
boys have family serious problems (violence,alcohol,etc.)
Judgment
As a final judgement I would say that the horror movie has nothing to do
with this violent case. In the first place there is no evidence that the movie
was rented. However, as both kids were from families with alcohol, violence and
legal problems, this has a clear consequence in their psyche. That is a basic
explanation of why those kids committed the violent homicide, leaving aside the
option of the horror movies.