The context in which most violence is presented on television poses risks for viewers. The majority of programs analyzed in this study contain some violence. But more important is the contextual pattern in which most violence is shown. The risks of viewing the most common depictions of televised violence include learning to behave violently, becoming more desensitized to the consequences and harm that comes out of violence, and becoming more fearful of being attacked. The contextual patterns noted below are found consistently across mos ....