VIOLENT TV SHOWS ACTUALLY GOOD FOR KIDS

VIOLENT TV SHOWS ACTUALLY GOOD FOR KIDS

CLEAR LAKE, Texas (Wireless Flash) Fans of the "V-chip" may not like it, but now comes word that watching television violence is actually healthy for children and adults. According to Dr. Jib Fowles, author of the new book, "The Case For TV Violence" (Sage Publications), there's no evidence that violent TV shows inspire violent behavior. Instead, they may actually be therapeutic. Fowles, a communication professor at the University of Houston, says watching TV car chases and shoot-outs can help hot- tempered types discharge hostile emotions in a safe manner while providing stimulation for people needing an adrenalin boost. Nervous types are also more relaxed after watching crime shows, which always end with good triumphing over evil. Fowles also reports there are numerous studies that show people suffer stress when TV is taken away, which may mean censoring violent TV shows with the V-Chip could cause violent behavior to increase.