Little personal space and TV violence causes aggression
Little personal space and TV violence causes aggression
JAKARTA (JP): Teenagers are destructive because of factors
ranging from lack of personal space to excessive exposure to
television violence, observers say.
Noted film critic and military observer Salim Said, retired
police general Koesparmono Irsan, and film director Slamet
Rahardjo explored here Thursday the roots of social unrest from
their individual perspectives.
Each offered a discussion an explanation for why young people
joined aggressive activities like the street rallies that were
prevalent during the recent election campaign period.
About 100 people, mostly researchers and educators, attended
National Institute of Sciences' discussion.
Salim said an absence of local arts festivals forced people to
turn to street rallies to express themselves.
"Arts festivals give people room to be creative," he said.
"Taking part in cultural exhibitions and arts performances could
reduce people's aggressiveness."
He said many youths took part in street rallies for fun and to
be creative, not because they supported political parties.
He said he believed that if there were more arts festivals,
there would be fewer people in street rallies.
He also criticized television stations whose staple sex and
violence broadcasts limited viewers' choices.
"Teenagers need an alternative channel to improve their
appreciation of art," he said.
He said state-run television station TVRI should offer more
cultural programs as a way of returning people's television
taxes.
He said people had abandoned TVRI because it was so undecided
about whether to offer quality cultural programs, or commercial
ones.
Salim is also Jakarta Arts Council's head, he called for the
government to give more funds for local cultural festivals, to
increase appreciation of local culture.
Slamet Rahardjo also said excessive television violence was to
blame for teenagers' poor cultural tastes and their aggressive
tendencies. He said a recent item on the news about a petty thief
who was seriously beaten up, was an example.
"To murder or rape is sadistic. But those who broadcast
violence in a detailed and continuous manner are more sadistic,"
he said.
Koesparmono is a National Commission on Human Rights member,
he said population growth and the subsequent reduction in
physical and emotional space was to blame.
"They have to jostle in public transportation. They sometimes
risk being killed as they hang out of bus doors," he said.
"There is increasingly less room for self expression as well,"
he said.
"Combine this situation with the widening social gap, and
you'll find teenagers who are inclined to aggression." (11)