The full Surgeon General's report on violent behavior in children was recently posted online, and it does not emphasize the connection between media violence and real-world violence. The report, which was ordered by President Clinton in the aftermath of the Columbine High School massacre, was released last month. Contrary to previous assumptions that it would lay a large part of the blame on violence in the media, the final version of the report notes that "violent behavior seldom results from a single cause" and that media violence "is best viewed as one of the many potential factors that help to shape behavior." While the report did state that the media can play a role in shaping behavior, it noted that "not all youths seem to be affected equally by media violence" and that the effects "seem to be strongest on youths who are predisposed to be aggressive for some reason..." Another section of the report stated that the research suggests that the impact of media on aggression is affected by the aggressive characteristics of viewers.

　　In respect to video games and other interactive media, the report stated that the number and type of studies that have investigated the effect of violent games are insufficient to determine the impact of such games on violent behavior. The Federal Trade Commission released a report last September that focused on the marketing of violent media. That report accused the media of producing violent media specifically targeted at younger audiences, but it did not examine the link between media violence and violent behavior.

　　To read the Surgeon General's full report, visit the official Web site.

　　What are your views on the Surgeon General's report? Share your thoughts in Talkback below.