Institute of Medicine Issues Violence Study Recommendations To Administration

The Institute of Medicine (IOM), part of the National Academy of Sciences, issued a report finding that, due to a lack of research focused on guns, "a direct relationship between violence in media and real-life firearm violence has not been established and additional research is necessary," but that existing evidence points to a "significant relationship" between media and some real-world violence.

The report reviewed existing research, pointed out where more research could be done, but concluded that even from what it said was “limited” evidence, "a significant relationships exist between violent media exposure and some measures of aggression and violent behavior." The report is a response to President Barack Obama’s executive order -- following the Newtown (CT) school shootings -- requesting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "immediately begin identifying the most pressing firearm-related violence research problems." IOM suggests conducting more research on copy-cat acts and suggestions media violence has been imitated in real life. It suggests such research might "advise media purveyors about changes in frequency or type of violent content to help reduce copy-cat effects or encourage help-seeking behaviors." The report also says that there are possible adverse effects from evening news reports about violent incidents and "ongoing, sensationalized stories about high-profile murders and mass shootings" that "has not been the subject of systematic research...Some evidence exists that these types of news stories are associated with unrealistic perceptions of low community safety as well as, in some cases, secondhand trauma-related fear, depression, feelings of vulnerability, and PTSD."

“The research agenda proposed by the IOM would improve our understanding of this content and how it is linked to behavior," said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV). "This will inform our work to develop policy that protects our children. We should take the IOM proposal seriously and make sure the research into causes of gun violence can begin in earnest. I have always believed that the cornerstone of good public policy is strong facts rooted in objective evaluation.”