WARNING War Cartoons Increase Childhood Violence and Behavioral Problems

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War cartoons and war toys increase childhood violence and behavioral problems according to 39 research studies; yet, the number of war cartoons have doubled in the last year. There are now 29 of these broadcast from one to five days a week. The number of hours war cartoons broadcast per week has increased from IVi in 1982 to 43 a week currently. The increase is almost entirely due to toy com panies using the cartoons to help sell various lines of war toys; hence, the sale of war toys has increas ed by 700% since 1982 and 11 of the 20 best selling toys in America have themes of violence^’ In addi tion, National Coalition on Television Violence monitoring reports indicate that the war cartoons have increased in violence, now averaging over 48 acts of violence per hour or almost a murder or at tempted murder for every minute of programming tim e. NCTV has figured out that the average 4- to 8-year-old child will see 250 episodes of war cartoons and 1000 advertisements for war toys this year. This is the equivalent to 22 days of classroom instruction time each year in exciting, pro-violent entertainment. The toy ads are even more violent than the cartoons portraying an incredible six acts of violence per 30 second commercial. The National Coalition on Television Violence has prepared national legislation that would help pro tect our country’s children from war cartoons and war toys while ensuring the protection of the First Amendment rights of the toy companies and the TV, industry. The legislation would put the Surgeon General’s message that using violence as a means of entertainment is a bad idea on children’s television on a regular basis. In addition, it would prohibit toy companies from creating cartoons specifically for the purpose of selling toys with violent themes. WHAT YOU CAN

The International War Toys Boycott has initiated a campaign against war toys and cartoons. It is concerned with toys or articles with violent themes being promoted to children and adolescents. Please join us. 1) Write to Congress: Ask your representative and senators to support NCTV’s proposed legislation on war toys and war cartoons. This would prohibit toy companies from using cartoon programming as a way of selling toys with violent themes. It would also require that the message of the Surgeon General on the harmfulness of violent entertainment be placed on children’s TV. For every three ads promoting violent toys or violent TV programming for children, one advertising slot would be set aside to remind children that using violence as a way of enter taining themselves is a bad idea. Write to your represen tative at the U.S. House of Representatives, Washington DC 20515 and your senators at the U.S. Senate, Washington DC 20510. Ask for immediate hearings and that they co-sponsor NCTV’s proposed legislation. 2) Send $4 to the National Coalition on Television Violence for a “ Stop War Toys Campaign” packet. Help us gather signatures to request congressional hearings and to gather the observations of hundreds of parents as to harmful effects that they personally have witnessed in their own children. 3) Write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Write to any church or school or health newsletter or magazine to which you subscribe. 4) Encourage your friends and family to refrain from buy ing toys with violent themes. Retire any violent toys your children already have to the attic and then to the gar bage can. Teach your children that war isn’t a game and that we shouldn’t have fun pretending to kill and conquer. 5) Send your old war toys to the National Coalition on Television Violence. We hope to hammer, melt and bend these toys of violence into a statue for peace. 6) Write or arrange a meeting with your local toy stores. Ask them not to carry war toys. Leaflet outside to educate customers, or go inside and place informative warning labels on military toys. 7) Write local television stations that carry violent car toons and ads for violent toys and protest this promo tion of violence. Point out that this promotion is increas ing attitudes of violence in our children. 8) Write to the .Federal Communications Commission (1919 M St. NW, Washington DC 20554) and ask for an immediate investigation of the use of children’s program ming to sell violence to children. Write to the Federal Trade Commission (633 Indiana Ave N.W., Washington DC 20580) and ask for an immediate investigation and ban on the use of advertising to sell violent toys to children or to require counteradvertising time to get the message of the Surgeon General out to our young peo ple that using violence as a means of entertainment is dangerous. 9) Reproduce this leaflei and distribute it to your school, daycare center, place of worship or organization. 10) Hold a vigil and prayer group, put on an alternative toy fair, do street theater, hold a public meeting or visit Rep. Bruce. 11) Buy non-violent and educational toys for your children and make a rule in your house that violence is never to be used as a means of entertainment by anyone of any age.

“ The playing with war toys legitimizes and makes violent behavior acceptable. It desensitizes children to the dangers and harm of violent behavior and increases the chance that they will resort to violent behavior. Probably only a small number will commit heavy du ty violence, but a large number get desensitized and will pick up some harmful behaviors. The degree that youngsters are learning to take pleasure from aggres sion decreases their ability to learn empathy, negotia tion, and cooperation. Cooperative games do exist and can be fun. I would recommend that parents not allow violent toys in their homes, but purchase nonviolent toys and games.” -- Dr. Arnold Goldstein, Ph.D., Director — Center for Research on Aggression — University of Syracuse

“ Nowadays, toys are more violent than ever. And with licensing arrangements, the toy companies and TV net works are producing shows and products with more power than they ever had before. The guns that go along with the toys are very realistic. They are copies of real guns-Uzis, M-16 and M-24 assault rifles, rocket-launchers and grenades. There have been studies that show that children who watch violent TV programs are more likely to show violent behavior, and the same thing with children playing with violent toys. Most studies show a 50% increase in unsocializ ed aggressive play between children after children play with violent toys. We are activating children to become more aggressive through realistic war toys. We are also telling kids whom to direct their aggression at. ‘Patriotic’ USA hero and international terrorist dolls promote a hatred of foreigners and a hatred of the very people we need to convert to peace.” - Dr. Carol Lieberman, M.D., M.P.H. -- Asst. Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, UCLA

“ Rambo exploits the sacrifices of those who actually did serve in Vietnam. It glorifies the horror that is war and ignores the physical and emotional cost of real com bat.” - Vietnam Speakers Alliance “This repeated teaching of seeing your opponent as someone despicably evil who can only be dealt with through combat is very harmful. The research on car toon violence and violent toys is quite clear. These pro grams and their violent war toys are teaching children to be more violent and desensitizing them to the real horrors of war and military combat. The cartoon and violent toy studies show that these materials cause children to hit, kick, choke, push and hold down other children. They have found increases in selfishness, anxiety, and the hurting of animals. Sharing and school performance have been found to decrease.” — Dr. Thomas Radecki, M.D., psychiatrist — Research Director -- National Coalition on Television Violence

“The MX for a more lethal weapon. Then Rambo for a model of brutality. Finally the Rambo doll to teach our children the practice of violence. War toys prepare children for war and other kinds of violence. If that is not what you want, don’t buy those toys.” - Dr. Benjamin Spock, M.D., pediatrician

“Wouldn’t you know they would pick up on that movie to turn into a children’s toy. The problem with Rambo as a doll is it’s a doll for children, whereas the movie is not a children’s movie; it’s a movie for adults.” -- Peggy Charren, President -- Action for Children’s Television “He wrote home that her son was sitting on a howitzer with a machine gun in his hand and wonder ing why he was doing this because he wasn’t a killer, he wasn’t a soldier, he was an engineer. “Artie was not a violent person. I think those movies appeal to the very basest instincts in people, the desire for revenge, for America to be standing tall, carrying the big stick and stalking the world.” - Helen Rambo, widow of — Arthur John Rambo -- killed in Vietnam 11/26/69

“ I love playing Rambo. He’s a character 1 would like to see go on because he still has a lot to do. “ 1 couldn’t control it, I tried to stop it, but 1 don’t own the licensing rights to the toys. It’s not for kids. The movie was not supposed to be for little kids, and I wouldn’t let my own children play with those toys.” - Sylvester Stallone, actor. Editor’s Note: Research information strongly suggests that the Rambo movies, both very high in violence, are likely to have harmful unconscious effects even on adult viewers. NCTV monitoring results for war cartoons for the number of violent acts per viewing hour are as follows:

Very High and Extreme Violence

Photon(LJN owned by MCA-Universal) 114 Inhumanoids(Hasbro) 86 Centurions: Power Xtreme(Kenner) 85 G.I. Joe(Hasbro) 84 Challenge of the Gobots(Tonka) 66 Transformers(Hasbro) 61 Dungeons & Dragon(TSR)(CBS) 60

High Violence

Spiderman(Marvel)(NBC) 49 Defenders of the Earth(Marvel & Hearst) 46 Rambo: Force of Freedom(Coleco) 44 Star Wars: Droids(Kenner)(ABC) 36 She-Ra, Princess of Power(Mattel) 33 Thundercats(LJN owned by MCA-Universal) 32 Jaycee and the Wheeled Warriors(Mattel) 32 Superpowers(Marvel)(ABC) 31 Voltron(Matchbox) 29 Lazer Tag(Worlds of Wonder)(NBC) 27 M.A.S.K. (Kenner) 25 Star Wars: Ewok(Kenner)(ABC) 24 Silverhawks(Kenner) 22 HeMan & Masters of the Universe(Mattel) 21

Other war cartoons in national distribution, but not monitored by NCTV:

Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers Battle of the Planets Captain Harlock & the Queen of a Thousand Years Gaiter and the Golden Lance Karate Kommando(Kenner) Robotech(Matchbox) Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs Terrahawks NATIONAL COALITION ON TELEVISION VIOLENCE

National Office: P.O. Box 2157 Champaign, IL 61820 217-384-1920

DON’T BUY

WAR TOYS 8*? 52 ^

National Coalition on Television Violence □ To help NCTV monitor & decrease TV violence enclosed is my membership of $25. □ I want to help even more by making an additionsl contribution of: □ $10 □ $25 □ $100 □ $:>00 Total enclosed______Nam e______Address ______City _— _ State 7 'P Contributions are Tax-deductible.

□ Stop War Toys Campaign Packets are available for $4. INTERNATIONAL COALITION AGAINST VIOLENT ENTERTAINMENT

Coalition Members: International & Research Office: Thomas Radecki, M.D., Research Director International Coalition Against Violent Entertainment National Coalition on Television Violence (U.S.A.) Thomas Radecki, M.D. Max Hall, Chairman P.O. Box 2157 Australian Children’s TV Action Committee Champaign IL 61820 Mary Whitehouse, President U.S.A. Tel: 217-384-1920 National Viewers & Listeners Association (England) Christina Crowther, Aktion Jugendschutz New York Office: Youth Protection Society (West Germany) Robert E. Gould, M.D. Bunzo Kamimura, Secretary General 144 East End Ave. National Assembly for Youth Development (Japan) New York NY 10128 Tel: 212-535-7275 Joan DeNew, Executive Secretary Canadians Concerned About Violence in Entertainment Max Abbott, Director Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand D. Antonio Olivares de Luca, Presidente Asociacion Espanola de Espectadores de Television (Spain) Kristina Fenno Radda Barnen, Child Protection Agency of Sweden Dr. Chokchuang Chutinaton, President Consumers Group of Siam(Thailand) K. Jeevagathas, Secretary Nonviolent Direct Action Group(Sri Lanka) Beatrice Sellier, Secretaire Generale Action pour la Dignite Humaine(France)

Dear International Peace Activist:

This letter is to invite you to join the International War Toy Boycott, if you are not already a member. The boycott is especially active in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, but has spread to England, Europe and other countries as well. The sales of war toys are being heavily promoted by multinational toy companies centered in the United States. These sales have skyrocketed in the U.S. and are in the process of increasing rapidly in many countries around the world. More than 50 countries around the world are now permitting the war toy industry to air 30-minute commercials, aimed at children, to promote the sales of war toys and other toys. These commercials are carefully disguised as children's cartoons or live action programs. For instance, 27 countries have already approved Mattel's "Captain Power and Soldiers of the Future" for the fall.

In many countries the national governments have been lobbied by and have given permission to toy companies to use children's programming to effectively brainwash children into buying the toys the toy companies are pushing. Often these toys and their cartoon programs are promoting themes of intense war violence. Implicit is the approval of the value system of violence and domination featured in the large majority of these programs.

In program after program is the clear message that war and violence are the only successful ways to solve problems with one's opponents. Although some of these programs may also teach a few positive messages, the message on conflict resolution is one of violence being necessary, proper, and patriotic.

There is an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence showing that these programs, their war toys, and even violent cartoons less violent than the war cartoons have harmful effects on normal children. These research studies come from the U.S., England, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, and Lebanon.

The newest trend in war toys are the so-called "interactive" toys. Several toy companies including Mattel and Hasbro, the world's two largest toy companies, are selling military toys to children and adolescents that they will use to shoot at and attempt to kill characters on the TV screen. Mattel's Captain Power will air in the U.S., Japan and Germany starting this Fall. Mattel will be selling toy guns and other military weapons that children can use to shoot at the TV set. Computer chips in the weapons will tell the child whether he killed the enemy or the enemy killed him. Mattel is truly training the Soldiers of the Future.

There are now 39 different war cartoon series in distribution in the U.S. and various other countries. Each promotes a different line of war toys for some toy company. Most countries have several of these airing on television. Even public television has begun producing war cartoons. FR3 in France has cooperated with NHK in Japan to produce a violent war cartoon "Lost Cities of Gold" in which children are repeatedly shown looking forward to war with excitement. War is protrayed as the only means available to reach peace. G.I. Joe, Transformers, HeMan, SheRa, Gobots, and many others are becoming familiar names worldwide. They all teach us to hate our enemies, to resist violence with more violence and to develop a warrior philosophy.

We hope that you will join the Internaitonal War Toys Boycott. We hope that you will carry the information in your newsletters, leaflet shopping centers, hold church vigils, have educational sessions in schools, etc. We hope you will lobby your national governments to take action on this issue. We hope to convince governments to ban the use of children's programming to sell toys with violent themes, and ideally, ban all advertising aimed at promoting toys with violent themes to children.

Legislation to ban the use of children's programming to sell toys to children is just now being introduced in the U.S. thanks to the War Toys Boycott. The legislation will also require TV broadcasters to carry a 30-second public service announcement every four to six hours during children's viewing time to warn children and adult viewers of the danger of entertaining themselves with violence. It was illegal in the U.S. until 1982 for toy companies to air 30-minute commercials on TV to sell war toys or any other toys. However, the Reagan administration threw out this rule and the U.S. Congress has still failed to replace this former rule with an official law that would require the Reagan administration to comply. What is even more shocking is that many supposedly democratic countries have allowed toy companies to turn TV sets into propaganda machines of war.

Enclosed you will find a form asking you to join the Internationl War Toys Boycott and to give us your permission to list you as participating. We would also be interested in your willingness to represent the International War Toys Boycott in your country, perhaps with other groups. We will keep you posted with the various activities planned around the world, if you respond favorably to this letter. We will send you updates on research information on the harmful effects of war toys and their TV programs. We will send you press releases that will also be sent by us to major newspapers in your country in early October and in late November.

Please join with us today. We cannot simultaneously convert adults of the world to peace, while teaching children war.

Thomas Radecki, M.D. ICAVE Research Director War Tov and War Film Participation Sheet

Please return via Air Mail as soon as possible!

Check off the appropriate responses below indicating your group’s participation.

In addition, we would appreciate it if you list as many other groups as possible in your country that do (or might) participate in the International War Toys Boycotts. If possible, list their actions and their addresses. Better yet, photocopy this participation sheet and send copies to these groups directly. —Thank you for your cooperation!

______ICAVE can use our name as participating in the International War Toys Boycott.

______We will conduct the following activities:__mention in newsletter or articles;__ educational leafleting;__vigils;__ speak to churches;__ speak to schools;__ other (please specify: ______)•

______We already participate in the International War Toys Boycott, and we would appreciate receiving more information from ICAVE.

______We would like to work with ICAVE on future educational leafletting of movie theatres showing pro-war movies. Please send more information.

______We would be willing to be a permanent member of ICAVE (if none is listed for our country on the enclosed ICAVE letterhead), and we would actively promote work against violent entertainment in our country. We would regularly receive research material from ICAVE, and would be listed as a contact in ICAVE press releases.

NAME OF ORGANIZATION. CONTACT PERSON: ______PHONE NUMBER: ______ADDRESS:

CITY: COUNTRY:

You may take out a personal membership in ICAVE. This is not necessary to work with us on these anti-violence projects. However your financial contribution can be of help in furthering our work. A contribution entitles you to receive our newsletter containing the most recent research information on anger and aggression, especially research on the impact of the media on our world.

There are many important protests that we must make against war. The first step in creating a more just and peaceful world is overcoming our desensitization to entertainment violence and protest this cause of violence and war thinking in our world. Please join with us in our effort to overcome violent entertainment. Please respond via Air Mail as soon as possible.

Collection Number: AG1977

END CONSCRIPTION CAMPAIGN (ECC)

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