Trends in Network Television Drama and Viewer Conceptions of Social Reality, 1967-1973. Violence Profile Number 6.

Trends in violence in television drama were measured over a seven-year period climaxing with 1973-1974. About 70 percent of programing in 1973 contained violent episodes, as opposed to 80 percent in 1967. However the proportion of domestic crime programs increased, while programs of historic or exotic episodes declined, so that violence was increasingly depicted as occurring in present society. The number of violent episodes per hour was gauged at about eight for cartoons. Violence rates for Westerns were also measured. Types of persons most frequently shown as victims were tabulated. The relative violence rates for each of the three networks were charted. Tables showing each trend were prepared, along with those showing involvements in violence and risks for different groups. Other tables depicted those who watch violent programs by years of education, newspaper readings, and other indexes. (DGC)