Call for papers - Effects of exposure to media violence

Guest Editors

Carlos Pimentel, PhD, Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil
Boyu Qiu, PhD, Guangzhou Medical University, China

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 6 February 2026

BMC Public Health invites researchers to submit studies examining the effects of exposure to media violence across various platforms, including television and social media. We aim to investigate the implications of media violence on aggression, desensitization, and overall public health, while also exploring effective strategies to mitigate these impacts. Through this collaborative research effort, we hope to enhance understanding and foster healthier media consumption practices.

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Carlos Pimentel, PhD, Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil

Dr Carlos Pimentel is an Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology and the Graduate Program in Social Psychology at the Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil. He has a PhD in Social Psychology and is interested in the following topics: violence, aggression, media, validation of measures, personality, alcohol, and drugs.

Boyu Qiu, PhD, Guangzhou Medical University, China
Boyu Qiu, PhD, is currently affiliated with the Department of Applied Psychology, School of Health Management, Guangzhou Medical University. His research focuses on: a) the acquisition of social behaviors in video games and card games, especially the acquisition of prosocial and aggressive behaviors through reinforcement learning and observational learning; b) the relationship between screen time and a variety of mental health problems, especially the differential impact of interactive media (e.g., video games) versus traditional media that passively deliver information (e.g. television) on mental health. He favors an experimental psychology approach to research and advocates the use of computational modeling for more in-depth analysis of experimental data.

About the Collection

BMC Public Health is calling for submissions to our Collection on the influence of media violence on societal behavior and public health.

The increasing exposure to aggression across diverse platforms, such as television and social media, raises critical questions about the long-term effects on viewers, particularly among vulnerable populations like children and adolescents. The rise in violent content, along with the normalization of aggression in entertainment, has sparked renewed interest in understanding its implications for mental health, social behavior, and community dynamics. This Collection aims to synthesize current research, explore new findings, and foster interdisciplinary dialogue on the consequences of media violence, making it timely and imperative to address this significant public health issue.

Suggested article topics include, but are not limited to:

The association between the exposure to media violence and increased risk of violent behavior on the viewers
Perceptions of violent content across social media, television, movies, and video games
The influence of media violence and cyberbullying on children and adolescents’ mental health
The role of media literacy in mitigating adverse outcomes
Implications for policy and intervention strategies to mitigate the effects of exposure to media violence

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Effects of exposure to media violence" from the dropdown menu.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.