Measuring the Effects of a Media Literacy Program on Conflict and Violence

A 5-session curricular unit on the topic of face-to-face conflict mediation and on-screen media violence was administered to 85 sixth graders. Repeated measures analyses were employed to study the 57 students for whom matched questionnaires were available. Results show students became more likely to choose a non-aggressive approach to two of three conflict scenarios presented and boys in the sample became more likely to acknowledge two of three effects of media violence. Other measures employed suggest a mixed response to the curriculum. Implications for successfully promoting media literacy in schools and for addressing interpersonal conflicts among young people are discussed.