Committee Opinion | Doc. 13536 | 18 June 2014
Violence in and through the media
Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
A. Conclusions of the committee
(open)B. Proposed amendments
(open)Amendment A (to the draft resolution)
At the end of paragraph 3, replace the last sentence with the following sentence:
“The interactivity of computer games, Internet tools (social networks, chat rooms, search engines, online shopping, and so on) and the accessibility of those media from anywhere (via “smartphones”) create numerous possibilities to exploit the violence found in and conveyed through the media, and to identify with it.”
Amendment B (to the draft resolution)
After paragraph 3, insert the following paragraph:
“Because they are very active in certain new media, children (up to the age of 18) in particular are exposed to the new forms of violence found in and conveyed through the media and to all the risks incurred; their situation therefore deserves particular attention.”
Amendment C (to the draft resolution)
At the end of paragraph 5, add the following sentences:
“Child pornography and child abuse images as serious violations of children’s rights were covered by the Assembly in its work leading to Resolution 1834 (2011) and Recommendation 1980 (2011) on combating “child abuse images” through committed, transversal and internationally co-ordinated action. Violence may also be insidiously conveyed through the media, for example in the depiction of the hyper-sexualisation of children.”
Amendment D (to the draft resolution)
In paragraph 6, at the end of the first sentence, add the following words:
“and be aware of the particular vulnerability of children in this sphere”
Amendment E (to the draft resolution)
Replace the first sentence of paragraph 9 by the following sentence:
“Consequently, convinced that governments, national parliaments and media service providers have a duty to combat media violence, the Assembly asks them to take the following measures:”
Amendment F (to the draft resolution)
Before paragraph 10.1, insert the following paragraph:
“devise and implement national programmes to raise awareness of violence and media skills for people who work with children, for families and for children themselves, inter alia based on greater European co-operation in this field;”
Amendment G (to the draft resolution)
At the end of paragraph 10.2, add the following words:
“, including and in particular where images of aggression against children are concerned;”
Amendment H (to the draft recommendation)
In paragraph 4.1, replace the words “deal with the effects of media violence” with the following words:
“deal with media violence and its effects”
Amendment I (to the draft recommendation)
At the beginning of paragraph 4.2, replace the words “assess the feasibility of ensuring” with the following words:
“encourage, through relevant existing partnerships between intergovernmental bodies and private stakeholders”
C. Explanatory memorandum by Ms Blondin, rapporteur for opinion
(open)
- Amendment A is intended to add detail to the draft resolution about the media concerned;
- Amendments B, C, D and then G endeavour to consider children more specifically, recalling their particular vulnerability in this context and the subtle way in which they are involved in violent depictions in the media;
- Amendment E is designed to strengthen the text of the draft resolution by calling on the main stakeholders to take very concrete measures (and not pursue “principles” which seem easier to ignore);
- Amendment F is intended to complete the list of measures to be taken by member States in order to prevent the violence conveyed through the media and to raise awareness of their consequences amongst all stakeholders;
- Amendment H very slightly reformulates the existing sentence in order to emphasise the fact that the mere presence of violence in the media represents a problem, without awaiting various potential consequences;
- Finally, Amendment I attempts to specify the role of the Committee of Ministers and the governmental bodies of the Council of Europe, which do not themselves make in-depth assessments in this sphere, but are more initiators of such discussions amongst other key stakeholders.