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"Media in general is thought to contribute to youth violence," says clinical psychologist Dr. Pam Sobo. "But there are many other factors that you have to look at before coming to any conclusions. "Is there a drug or alcohol abuse problem with those kids? Or with their parents? Have they been subjected to parental violence? There are many other factors besides media," said Sobo. "You would hope so," she replied when I asked her if it all starts with the parents' level of interest in teaching their kids right from wrong. "It's absolutely important that children learn the proper behavior at home, so they know how to react in many different situations. "You can't just blame wrestling," Sobo concluded. "It can't just be media. If that were the case, all of us would be violent, because we all watch TV. You have to look at what makes the violent children different, and chances are, there's some sort of drug, alcohol, or a physical abuse problem at home." Dave Scherer of PWInsider.com, the leading website for news and features about the world of professional wrestling, was once a member of the website team for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). The company, which went out of business in 2000, but was recently revived as a third branch of the WWE, was known for its hardcore approach to wrestling. Bodies thrown through blazing tables, wrestlers hurled into barbed wire and guys bashed in the head with kendo sticks were frequent occurrences during the heyday of the original ECW. But according to Scherer, he never heard of a fan taking the violence home. "Back in the day, the ECW fans popped (cheered) for the violence, but they realized it was just a show," says Scherer. "They didn't go out and kill somebody after the show. No kids began killing animals or going Taxi Driver just because they saw violence in ECW. To blame it on pro wrestling is a crock." To its credit, the WWE didn't ignore the study, but rather called attention to it throughout Monday's airing of Raw. The company issued a statement underscoring that "from a real-life perspective, we know the brand can have a lot of positive impacts on society. There are lot of good studies out there, but unfortunately, (we) think this study has a lot of flaws." And I agree. As do Scherer, and more importantly, Dr. Sobo. Maybe, however, the best example of how flawed the Wake Forest study may be comes from the continuing saga of Lionel Tate, who arguably received one of the greatest second-chances in the history of mankind. Remember, Tate went from a 13 year-old looking at the bleak prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars, to a young man with a future. And if he really did injure young Tiffany only because he was imitating moves of his favorite wrestlers, the rest of his life would be great. After all, according to his lawyer, he wasn't a bad kid. He was just the victim of bad circumstances. Well, apparently not. Just months after his new lease on life - while still under house arrest - Tate was apprehended outside his Florida home while in possession of a knife. The judge increased his probation from 10 to 15 years and warned that another violation would prompt him to send Tate to jail. That other violation came on May 23, 2005, when the now 18 year-old Tate robbed a pizza deliveryman at gunpoint. In May, Tate was sentenced to 30 years in prison on a gun possession charge, which violated his earlier probation. After taking back a guilty plea on an armed robbery charge, he'll face a separate trial for that alleged crime in September. "In plain English, Lionel Tate, you've run out of chances. You do not get any more," Broward County Florida Circuit Judge Joel T. Lazarus told him. Tate was reportedly laughing as they led him away in shackles. Joe McDonnell is an award-winning radio talk show host and investigative reporter. You can reach him at
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