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Humour offsets screen violence

The report found that men and women also agreed that humour can play a large part in whether violence is acceptable.

The study, entitled Defining Violence: The Search for Understanding, interviewed 96 people, showing them different situations to analytically gauge the levels of violence.

It was commissioned by ITV, the BBC, BSkyB and Channel 5 as well as the Independent Television Commission and the Broadcasting Standards Commission.

Violence with a big V

Scenes in which violence looked staged and unreal were rated as "violence with a little 'v'".

A violent scene from Quentin Tarantino's film Pulp Fiction, in which a hitman played by John Travolta accidentally shoots and kills a man sitting in the back seat of a car, was ranked as "violence with a big V".

Chief researcher David Morrison, from the University of Leeds, said: "The sense of humour de-centres it. Had it been shown without that humour, then it would be seen as being very violent."

But the film which provoked the strongest reaction among most of the participants was a wife-beating scene in Ken Loach's drama Ladybird, Ladybird. It was ranked as "violence with a hyper V" - the strongest category of screen violence.

The clip from Ladybird, Ladybird was judged shocking because it dealt with an important real-life subject. But despite this most viewers felt it was acceptable to be shown on television.

"If they can see the violence to have a point and a purpose, they think it's more acceptable than if it doesn't," Mr Morrison said.

'Useful research'

Although they did not mind the killing in Pulp Fiction, some respondents did object to the swearing in the film.

One respondent said: "I could put up with the violence, but what I do find irritating is that everything that is a little bit violent has to have rotten language with it... That I do find horrible."

Phil Harding, the BBC's controller of editorial policy, said: "This is actually useful research. For the first time it tells us in some detail how the viewers watch the programmes.

"It will enable us to make better informed decisions in the future about what we show, or what we don't show."

Sarah Thane, director of programmes at the Independent Television Commission said: "I don't think this in any way gives broadcasters carte blanche for increasing the overall amounts of violence."

Screen violence in the US

On Monday the National Viewers and Listener Association in the UK called for an end to screen violence to halt what they highlight as an increase in agression and anti-social behaviour.

The debate over TV violence often flares up after highly-publicised cases of real-life violence, such as the recent killings at Columbine High School in Colorado.

On Monday a conference of young people, parents, religious leaders and representatives from the gun and entertainment industries gathered at the White House in Washington to discuss with officials the causes of the recent violence in US schools.

It is hoped that the session will provide the basis for a national campaign aimed at reducing youth violence.

The film industry has often been criticised for its level of violence - with the latest Keanu Reeves blockbuster, The Matrix, coming under fire at the moment.

But Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, said the film industry shouldn't be singled out for blame.

He said he supports an in-depth analysis of the underlying causes of violence by the US surgeon-general.

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