The Risk of Emergence of Boomerang Effect in Communication against Violence

Brändle-Señán, Gaspar and Martín-Cárdaba, Miguel-Ángel and Ruiz-San Román, José-Antonio The Risk of Emergence of Boomerang Effect in Communication against Violence. Revista Comunicar, 2011, vol. XIX, n. 37, pp. 161-168. [Journal article (Paginated)]

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English abstract

Violent behaviors cause concern among people, policy makers, politicians, educators, social workers, parents associations, etc. From different fields and perspectives, measures are taken to try to solve the problem of violence. Institutional communication campaigns against violence and the publication of news related to violent events are often some of the actions used by policy makers. But some of the literature and data have shown that its effectiveness is not always exactly as expected. And even some anti-violence messages, can have the opposite effect and reinforce the attitudes of those who thought that violence is necessary. The hypothesis is that most people assume with no problem the core message of anti-violence campaigns. But, and this is the key issue and most problematic, individuals who are more likely to be violent (precisely those who should address such communications) could react to anti-violence message in a violent way. There is a tragic paradox: the anti-violence message could increase the predisposition to violent behavior. This would be a case of what some literature called boomerang effect. This article highlights the need for detailed empirical studies on certain effects of media (desensitization, imitation, accessibility and reactance), which could help explain the emergence of the boomerang effect.

Spanish abstract

Los comportamientos violentos causan inquietud entre los responsables públicos (políticos, educadores, asistentes sociales, asociaciones de madres y padres, etc.) que, desde diversos ámbitos, toman medidas que tratan de dar solución al problema de la violencia. La difusión de campañas institucionales de comunicación en contra de la violencia y el fomento de la publicación de noticias relacionadas con sucesos violentos suelen ser algunas de las acciones utilizadas. No obstante, parte de los datos y de la literatura disponible han demostrado que su eficacia no siempre es la esperada e, incluso, dichas acciones pueden llegar a tener efectos contrarios al deseado y reforzar las actitudes de los que piensan que la violencia es necesaria. Se sostiene la hipótesis de que la mayoría de la población asumiría como propios los mensajes contrarios a la violencia. Sin embargo –y esto es la cuestión clave y más problemática– son justo aquellos individuos con mayor propensión a la violencia (precisamente aquellos a quienes deberían dirigirse tales comunicaciones) quienes podrían reaccionar ante el mensaje antiviolencia de un modo no deseado. Se da una dramática paradoja: el mensaje antiviolencia podría aumentar la predisposición a desarrollar comportamientos violentos. Estaríamos ante un caso de lo que cierta literatura denomina efecto boomerang. Por último, se señala la necesidad de un estudio detallado sobre determinados efectos de los medios de comunicación (insensibilización, imitación, accesibilidad y reactancia), que podrían ayudar a explicar la aparición de dicho efecto boomerang.

Item type: Journal article (Paginated)
Keywords: Media effects, violence, institutional campaigns, boomerang effect, desensitization, imitation, accessibility, reactance, efectos de los medios, violencia, campañas, efecto boomerang, insensibilización, imitación, accesibilidad, reactancia.
Subjects: B. Information use and sociology of information > BA. Use and impact of information.
B. Information use and sociology of information > BC. Information in society.
C. Users, literacy and reading. > CB. User studies.
G. Industry, profession and education. > GH. Education.
Depositing user: Alex Ruiz
Date deposited: 08 Jul 2012
Last modified: 02 Oct 2014 12:23
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/17291

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