Torin Douglas: "Programme makers and broadcasters are being urged to study the report"

The survey, commissioned by the Broadcasting Standards Commission, also found that some men felt there was some justification for rape scenes.

The attitudes of men contrasted sharply with findings among women who were found to be gentler in a 1992 survey.

The surveys found that while women identified with victims of violence on screen, men did not see themselves as vulnerable - even though half of those questioned had themselves been victims of violence.

Men less concerned

Men were far less worried about seeing violence on TV, while women were worried about the impact that such incidents could have on viewers, especially children.

Women were also prepared to look at the motivation of violent characters - which was not generally an issue among men.

A cross-section of 88 men was questioned for the report, Men Viewing Violence, by the Stirling Media Research Institute and Manchester University's Violence Research Centre.

They were shown a selection of programmes with fictional and real-life incidents.

Scenes from Eastenders, starring Steve McFadden, were shown

Among the programmes screened were EastEnders, the drama Trip Trap which included a rape scene, and the movies Basic Instinct and Under Siege.

There were also shown footage of a real attack recorded by closed-circuit television - Eric Cantona's notorious 'kung fu' lunge at a spectator, and scenes from boxing clashes.

BSC Chairman Lady Howe said of the survey: "Above all it has highlighted a significant difference between the sexes.

"Men seem to be less concerned about violence they see on television than women and the challenge for broadcasters is to reconcile these very different approaches."

TV companies, she said, should be looking at what is broadcast, when it is scheduled and whether there is adequate programme information.

They should also be asking whether women were sufficiently represented in the decision-making processes of broadcasting, she added.

Some of the men surveyed felt that a rape depicted in Trip Trap was "deserved" because of the female character's behaviour, Lady Howe said.

Some showed an element of enjoyment during the screening of CCTV footage of a violent assault by one man on another and young white men could identify strongly with the action, she added.

"They did get a kick out of watching it," said Lady Howe.

Violence top of viewers' concerns

She said that although the influence of screen violence on viewers' actions had not been proven, BSC monitoring has shown that violence is the issue of most concern among viewers.

"Women are worried about the effect and the influence it might have on young children, on vulnerable groups and the influence it may have on men's behaviour towards them. Men are not so concerned about this."

Professor Philip Schlesinger, who led the research, said men appeared unwilling to look into the minds of perpetrators of violence on the small screen.

He noted: "There's a startling lack of curiosity about what motivates domestic violence."

But in the 1992 study women felt that screening violence towards women could have possible negative effects and that broadcasters should exercise care in their programmes.

However, men did not feel the same way about the depiction of violence towards either women or men.

The only exception was the Cantona incident. Those surveyed felt that because of a football star's high media profile he was a role model for young children.