An Index of Violence
Alarmed parents, teachers, and critics of television assume that the portrayal of violence has been increasing.
Gerbner tried to develop an objective measure on the basis of facts rather than feelings.
He defined ‘dramatic violence’ as ‘the overt expression of physical force compelling action against one’s will on pain of being hurt and/or killed or threatened to be so victimised as part of the plot”.
The definition includes the physical abuse in cartoons, auto crashes and natural disasters.