A study conducted by Dr. Christopher Ferguson and colleagues at the Texas A&M University, published in the Journal of Communication, has revealed that focus on topics like sex and violence by TV shows is doing nothing but is encouraging wrong attitudes in some.

Violent or sexually charged scenes are in actual having a little or no impact on men when it comes to their attitudes towards women. Rather, shows with pictures of violence against docile women raised the negative attitude of men towards women.

Alongside, female viewers become worried when they watch such a scene, the team says. A best citation, the researchers say, may be the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series starring Sarah-Michelle Gellar. Also, it is therefore that they have been calling the trend as the Buffy effect.

Almost 150 students were enrolled and made to watch different programmes’ scenes, featuring either aggression against women or containing no violence.

It has been told that the scenes featuring strong and defensive women did not have any influence on any person, whether male or female. "Instead it seems to be portrayals of women themselves, positive or negative that has the most impact, irrespective of objectionable content”, said Prof. Ferguson.