YMA - Reel to Real Intro

This short professionally produced DVD supported by a simple, easy to read booklet, aims to raise parents’ awareness of potential impacts of violent media, provides practical tips for “creating a family friendly media zone” and includes the Fight-free Media List, a list of 200 TV programs, movies, short DVDs and computer games selected by YMA as non-violent.

A Parent Information Session is available for use by children’s health and education professionals to raise awareness about these issues within their parent communities, using the DVD and booklet package resource.

It is hoped that education, child care and welfare professionals in South Australia will use the DVD and booklet package to raise awareness within their parent communities.

Background to the project

Reducing Reel to Real Violence: early intervention in metropolitan Adelaide to minimise harm from media violence is a YMA project funded by the National Community Crime Prevention Program, an Australian Government Initiative. The project aimed to help parents of children under the age of seven to minimise their children’s exposure to violent media.

A considerable body of research suggests that this approach could make an effective contribution to reduction of violent behaviour in the community. There is a great deal of community concern about media violence and YMA believes this project is timely and significantly adds to the body of knowledge around this issue, and to the availability of support for parents.

An early intervention program (information kits and other resources) was to be developed to assist, encourage and motivate parents to reduce young (under seven years) children’s exposure to violent screen media (games, videos/DVDs, movies, TV).

During March and April 2007, YMA and partners conducted a survey of parents of under sevens. The results of the survey helped us to decide what we need to include in our intervention. Thank you to all who participated. To see the results as a PDF

click here: Survey Results

Using these results, the Consultative Committee, the members of which were drawn widely from the education, early childhood, welfare and community sectors, developed an early intervention program (information kits and other resources) to assist, encourage and motivate parents to reduce young (under seven years) children’s exposure to violent screen media (games, videos/DVDs, movies, TV).

Fight-free media list

An important outcome of this project is the YMA Fight Free Media List

A team of three media reviewers reviewed hundreds of TV programs, movies, short DVDs and computer games, working to a definition of violence (Reviewers were all qualified in child development:two with Education degrees, one in Psychology). The reviewers carefully selected those media products that contained no interpersonal violence, that is, people deliberately hurting other people.

The list is primarily intended to be a web resource so that, if further funding becomes available, it can be easily updated and the most up-to-date version available to users immediately. To see this list on the website click here.

The initial Fight-free media list is also printed in the Choosing Fright-free Fight-free Viewing booklet. To download the list in PDF format, click here

Many of the titles included in the list of non-violent media will be available through South Australian public libraries.

Distribution of the package

The DVD and booklet package was distributed in May 2008, via the Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS) Distribution Centre, to all metropolitan primary schools (state and independent), preschools, Children’s Centres and child care centres.

Thank you very much to the Early Childhood and Statewide Services section of DECS for sponsoring this distribution. It is hoped that a further reprint of the resource will enable it to be sent to the equivalent rural sites as well.

The Parent Information Session is available in PDF format. To download click here

To ask for an additional copy of the DVD and booklet package, to request a hard copy of the Parent Information Session or to find out anything more about this project, please contact YMA on helpline@youngmedia.org.au

Evaluation

An evaluation of the effectiveness of the resource package is currently being conducted at three education and early childhood sites. Thank you to all who are participating. The results of the survey will be published in June.

The Program Launch

Around 80 people attended the official launch of the Choosing Fright-free, Fight-free Viewing package on 28 November 2007 at the Mercury Cinema. The program included a screening of the DVD and an entertaining and challenging address by Professor Philip Gammage about ‘the changing context of childhood: risks and realities'. The chart on which Philip based his talk is available in PDF format - click here.

The resource was launched by the Honorable Steve Georganas following a short onscreen address from YMA patron, Steve Biddulph.

After the formal program the guests, who included education professionals, politicians, community workers and others with an interest in the media and young children, were able to meet over morning tea. All guests received a complimentary copy of the DVD / booklet package.

To read our media release about the launch in PDF format click here

Partners and supporters

YMA would like to acknowledge how important the support of our partners and supporters has been to the success of the project.

Reducing Reel to Real Violence

Choosing Fright-free

Fight-free viewing

An intervention for parents of under sevens

What is the Choosing Fright-free Fight-free viewing package?