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<title> NECESSARY VIOLENCE </title>
Introduction
Violence on TV and in movies is from time to time debated in the media. Different groups with different opinion discuss the effect violence might have on our children. Different arguments are debated back and forth. Aspects are analysed and interpreted to the full extent. The producers and filmmakers on one hand saying: -This is merely entertainment or -The violent scenes are necessary to understand the underlying message in the film. The critics on the other hand saying that violence on TV creates violence on the streets, and that young people get a wrong picture of the effect of violent acts. What is true? And in which cases can violence on TV or in movies really be necessary?

Necessary violence?
The real world
One thing that I often think of is the horrible and violent scenes that is almost daily shown on news report. They show people in poor countries that suffer from starvation and famine. You can see small children with swollen stomachs and open wounds due to malnutrition that suffer tremendously. You see civilians leaving their homes to escape the horrors of war. This is something that affects me a lot and I sometimes question whether or not they really need to show these pictures, because people already know that this problem exist. On the other hand we have to accept that this is how our world looks today, and that censoring this to avoid that people feel bad would mean that we in some way deny the fact that this problem exists. It is of greater importance to deal with the problems of starvation and war than to censor the way it is described.

Parental responsibility

Violence in movies and TV series is another relevant question. I don't think that children benefit from watching violence in movies and TV series, because this violence is very different from the violence on a news report. It is not real. Sometimes it is very exaggerated and very unrealistic and this could contribute to children, and some adults, getting a distorted picture of the effect that violent acts towards other people might have. Personally I am very grateful that my parents did not allow me to watch these programs while I was young. But this is not the parents only responsibility. They also need to inform and educate their children on how to act in society and explain to them that violence and abuse is wrong and not acceptable in any case.

Sometimes though, violence in a movie can be justified and fill a purpose. For example, a movie about World War II or the Vietnam war, would have to have violence in it in order to be realistic. It would not be very truth worthy to have a movie about a war, and no one got killed. However in other entertainment productions, like Hollywood action movies, the violence can sometimes be very exaggerated and one can question its necessity.

Censorship
I also think that you have to be extremely careful before you start censoring programs. In Sweden we have a state department for film censorship, which many other countries also have. This I find quite strange. In both USA and Sweden we strongly emphasise the importance of freedom of speech and the freedom of press, but still we find it necessary, and we feel we have the right to censor movies and TV. Is not this a form of governmental control? Something the inhabitants in both these countries are highly afraid of and something that they do not want to increase? Should censorship be allowed or is it better not to censor anything and leave to the individuals to interpret what they see themselves? Maybe you can not find an easy answer to this, but we should probably try to get rid of the double standard of morality that the current behaviour creates.

Conclusion

Violence on TV is a complex question. Some people may argue that we need to protect our children from watching violence, which is probably true. But how should we do this, and from what violence shall we protect them? All forms of violence on TV might not be unnecessary, and who should decide which types of violence that are ok and which that are not ok. Every form of censorship is undoubtfully a question of governmental control and it is something that stirs up a lot of emotions when mentioned. People do not want their kids to watch violent TV programs, bur they also do not want to be controlled by the government. This makes it very difficult to find a solution that suits everybody, and you are almost certain to step on someone's toes.
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