With Anders Behring Breivik now in custody, accused of the attacks that killed several people and destroyed the Prime Minister's offices yesterday, speculation has been rife about what might have made him turn to violence. Although he is believed to fundamentalist religious views and links to far right organisations, the spectre of violence triggered by films has already been raised.
Breivik's Facebook page listed his interests in some detail, from his love of popular cartoon He-Man to his fondness for serial killer drama Dexter. The Sun have highlighted Gladiator and 300 as 'violent films' among his favourites. In the search for answers, it seems probable that this will be another case in which screen violence is seen as a trigger for violence in real life.
Research into the effects of screen violence in real life is currently inconclusive, though some studies suggest that violence with an obviously fictious or fantasy element is less likely to inspire aggression.
