GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- As Congress debates how best to deal with the content of entertainment offered to children, a new Gallup poll shows that the public views the potential impact of violence in movies, video games, television and recorded music as a very serious problem, while the current efforts to control children's exposure to such violence are inadequate. According to the poll, conducted June 11-13, Americans are most concerned about violence in movies and video/computer games, with more than six in ten saying that both these forms of entertainment pose at least a very serious problem: Thirty percent of Americans say the problem of violence in movies and in video/computer games is "extremely" serious, while another 31%-32% say "very" serious. About half of the public -- 52% -- also find the violence in television programming to be very or extremely serious, while 48% feel that the violence content in the lyrics to popular music is at least a very serious issue.
Although the entertainment industry has adopted ratings systems for some forms of entertainment -- most notably movies, TV programs, and music -- the American public does not think those ratings systems provide the information that adults need to make decisions about what is appropriate for children. Three of four adults -- 74% -- say that the information provided about violence in lyrics, and separately the violence in video/computer games, is not sufficient. In addition, almost six in ten indicate that the information provided about violence in movies and television programming is inadequate for judging the appropriateness of such entertainment for children.
But even if the information provided by the ratings systems were more comprehensive, Americans believe that more needs to be done to control children's exposure to violent material. The voluntary ratings systems rely on parents themselves exercising restraint on their children, but most adults -- 73% -- believe that an additional step should be taken: the sales of violent movies, music CDs, and video games to children under 18 should be restricted. Only 26% say it is sufficient that the industry provide information to the public about the violence content of such materials.
Despite these views, Americans have not shifted responsibility for restricting children's access to violent entertainment from the parents to others. Instead, they believe that the responsibility is shared among many people and groups, particularly those within the entertainment industry. The poll shows that 94% of Americans believe parents still have either the most responsibility (59%) or at least "major responsibility along with others" (35%) for restricting children's access to violent entertainment. But the poll shows that 77% believe the entertainment industry also has at least a major responsibility to restrict such access. And, in a sign the public is willing to have some form of government regulation of the industry, just over half -- 52% -- say that both the local government, and the federal government, have at least major responsibility along with others to control children's exposure to violence in the entertainment media.
SURVEY METHODS
The results of the current poll are based on telephone interviews
with a randomly selected national sample of 500 adults, 18 years
and older, conducted June 11-13, 1999. For results based on this
sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum
error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or
minus 5 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question
wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can
introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion
polls.
How serious a problem is the amount of violence that children are exposed to in each of the following forms of entertainment? For each one, please tell me if the problem is extremely serious, very serious, moderately serious, not too serious, or not at all serious. First, how serious a problem is the amount of violence that children are exposed to in [ROTATE A-D]?
A. Movies
| Extremely serious | 30% |
| Very serious | 32 |
| Moderately serious | 24 |
| Not too serious | 9 |
| Not at all serious | 4 |
| No opinion | 1 |
| 100% |
B. Video or computer games
| Extremely serious | 30% |
| Very serious | 31 |
| Moderately serious | 24 |
| Not too serious | 8 |
| Not at all serious | 5 |
| No opinion | 2 |
| 100% |
C. Lyrics to popular music on CDs, tapes or radio
| Extremely serious | 25% |
| Very serious | 23 |
| Moderately serious | 36 |
| Not too serious | 10 |
| Not at all serious | 3 |
| No opinion | 3 |
| 100% |
D. Television programming
| Extremely serious | 23% |
| Very serious | 29 |
| Moderately serious | 33 |
| Not too serious | 10 |
| Not at all serious | 4 |
| No opinion | 1 |
| 100% |
Do you believe that the producers of the following entertainment media do or do not provide adults with enough information about the violence content to make decisions about what is appropriate for children? How about ... [ROTATE A-D]?
A. Movies
| Do provide enough information | 40% |
| Do not | 58 |
| No opinion | 2 |
| 100% |
B. Video or computer games
| Do provide enough information | 20% |
| Do not | 74 |
| No opinion | 6 |
| 100% |
C. Lyrics to popular music on CDs, tapes or radio
| Do provide enough information | 22% |
| Do not | 74 |
| No opinion | 4 |
| 100% |
D. Television programming
| Do provide enough information | 39% |
| Do not | 59 |
| No opinion | 2 |
| 100% |
As a general rule, in order to control the exposure of children to violent entertainment, do you think that it is sufficient that the industry just provide information to the public about the violence content of movies, music CDs and video games or do you think that there should also be restrictions on the sales of such violent materials to children under 18?
As a general rule, in order to control the exposure of children to violent entertainment, do you think that there should be restrictions on the sales of movies, music CDs, and video games to children under 18, or do you think that it is sufficient that the industry just provide information to the public about the violence content of such materials?
COMBINED RESULTS: N = 500; MARGIN OF SAMPLING ERROR = ± 5 PCT. PTS.
| Sufficient just to provide information | 26 |
| Also restrictions on sales of violent materials | 73 |
| No opinion | 1 |
Finally, for each of the following, please indicate how much responsibility you think they should have for restricting children's access to violent entertainment -- the most responsibility, a major responsibility along with others, little responsibility, or no responsibility. How about [ROTATE A-E]?
A. Children under 18 themselves
| Most responsibility | 21% |
| Major responsibility along with others | 47 |
| Little responsibility | 27 |
| No responsibility | 4 |
| No opinion | 1 |
| 100% |
B. Parents of children under 18
| Most responsibility | 59% |
| Major responsibility along with others | 35 |
| Little responsibility | 3 |
| No responsibility | 1 |
| No opinion | 2 |
| 100% |
C. The entertainment industry
| Most responsibility | 23% |
| Major responsibility along with others | 54 |
| Little responsibility | 18 |
| No responsibility | 4 |
| No opinion | 1 |
| 100% |
D. Local governments
| Most responsibility | 14% |
| Major responsibility along with others | 38 |
| Little responsibility | 33 |
| No responsibility | 13 |
| No opinion | 2 |
| 100% |
E. The federal government
| Most responsibility | 14% |
| Major responsibility along with others | 38 |
| Little responsibility | 32 |
| No responsibility | 14 |
| No opinion | 2 |
| 100% |
