TY  - JOUR
A1  - Moeller, Ingrid
A1  - Krahé, Barbara
A1  - Busching, Robert
A1  - Krause, Christina
T1  - Efficacy of an intervention to reduce the use of media violence and aggression an experimental evaluation with adolescents in Germany
JF  - Journal of youth and adolescence : a multidisciplinary research publication
N2  - Several longitudinal studies and meta-analytic reviews have demonstrated that exposure to violent media is linked to aggression over time. However, evidence on effective interventions to reduce the use of violent media and promote critical viewing skills is limited. The current study examined the efficacy of an intervention designed to reduce the use of media violence and aggression in adolescence, covering a total period of about 12 months. A sample of 683 7th and 8th graders in Germany (50.1% girls) were assigned to two conditions: a 5-week intervention and a no-intervention control group. Measures of exposure to media violence and aggressive behavior were obtained about 3 months prior to the intervention (T1) and about 7 months post-intervention (T2). The intervention group showed a significantly larger decrease in the use of violent media from T1 to T2 than the control group. Participants in the intervention group also scored significantly lower on self-reported aggressive behavior (physical aggression and relational aggression) at T2 than those in the control group, but the effect was limited to those with high levels of initial aggression. This effect was mediated by an intervention-induced decrease in the normative acceptance of aggression. No gender differences in program efficacy were found. The results show that a 5-week school-based intervention can produce changes in the use of media violence, aggressive norms, and behaviors sustained over several months.
KW  - Media violence
KW  - Intervention
KW  - Experimental evaluation
KW  - Longitudinal study
Y1  - 2012
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9654-6
SN  - 0047-2891
VL  - 41
IS  - 2
SP  - 105
EP  - 120
PB  - Springer
CY  - New York
ER  -