Television Programme Preference and the Perception of Crime among Youths in Tertiary Institutions in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between television programme preference and perception of crime among youths in tertiary institutions in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. In carrying out this study, three specific objectives and one null hypothesis were postulated. The descriptive survey method was adopted because of its advantage of collecting and analyzing data of a small number of population and generalizing it to the entire population. Also, the questionnaire was used in collecting data from a sample of 390 students in five tertiary institutions in Port Harcourt. A random sample drawn from 28,900 students was determined through a mathematical and representative process using the Yard’s formula. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. While the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMC) analysis was used to test the null hypothesis postulated for the study. The study reveals that violent television programmes disinhibits, and toughens youths who watch such television programmes; programme content having guns was rated most violent by respondents; youths have higher preference for movies/films to any other television programme type. The study further revealed that there is a significant relationship between television programme preference and the perception of crime among students in tertiary institutions. It was recommended among others that the use of guns and live ammunition on television shows should be discouraged by television producers; producers of television programmes should be more creative in showing perpetrators of violent acts being punished and should be able to present alternatives to use of violence in solving problems; Censor Board should have zero tolerance for violent television programmes. It must be understood that the most harmful violent films and movies are not necessarily the bloodiest but are those in which the aggressive is rewarded for violence and in which aggression is portrayed as justified; lastly, regular enlightenment programmes and seminars should be organized by the authorities of these tertiary institutions to educate and enlighten these youths on the dangers of crime and criminal behaviours.