U.S. kids perch themselves in front of televisions three to four hours per day, reported the Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in 2002. Male teens spend an additional eight hours per week playing video games as of 2007, according to Science Daily. These media are filled with violence. By the age of 18, the average U.S. child has viewed 200,000 acts of violence on television. What concerns parents and experts is the fact television, film and video games for the most part glorify violence. Violence is rarely questioned, and the aggression of heroes is presented as justified. Many experts question whether the never-ending flow of media violence spurs violence and aggression in children.
Negative Outcomes
Literally hundreds of studies conducted over the past several decades establish the negative effects of violence for some children, as described at the Kaiser Family Foundation and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Children who routinely view media violence have a greater risk of engaging in aggressive or violent behavior. Other effects of media violence include emotional distress, acceptance of violence as a reasonable approach to dealing with problems, anesthetization to violence and loss of empathy.
Mediating Media Qualities
Media characteristics can influence the degree and nature of its influence. Violence portrayed by cartoon characters has less influence over children than action performed by actors in realistic settings. Also, kids are less likely to imitate violence portrayed in media when the perpetrators are punished for their violent acts. However, most violent video games, movies and television programs present the use of violence as admirable and even heroic. When violence is presented as justified and is rewarded on screen, children are more likely to mimic these acts of aggression.
Viewer's Characteristics
School-age children are more vulnerable to the influence of media models than adolescents, according to Media Awareness Network. Young children are still developing their ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Teens have a more developed sense of self, identity and core values and have a greater capacity for critical thinking and autonomy. However, adolescents with emotional problems or who tend toward aggressive behavior or violent fantasies may still respond to the influence of media violence. This is especially true if the troubled teen is surrounded by peers or other influential models who encourage violence.
Environmental Factors
The values and behavior of immediate family, peers, relatives and other models temper the effect of media violence. Children who spend time with violent peers, or who are exposed to aggression and violence in family settings, are likely to engage in aggressive behavior whether they view violent media or not. Consider the fact that cultures across the world create citizens who take up arms and commit acts of violence, even when there are few televisions in the culture. On the other hand, children raised in environments that emphasize rationality and non-violent strategies toward resolving conflict create children who are less inclined to act aggressively, whether exposed to media violence or not.
Interventions
You can take steps to ensure your children do not fall prey to the influence of media violence. First off, limit their exposure to media violence when they are young and impressionable. Preview movies, read ratings on game boxes and monitor your child's television viewing and video game use. If your child is violent or aggressive, you should forbid violent video games and movies. Most important, act the way you want them to act. Parents are potent role models. Do not use corporal punishment, physical or verbal aggression. Demonstrate reason, rationality and effective problem-solving in your daily life so they can learn those traits.
References
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: Children and TV Violence
- Kaiser Family Foundation: TV Violence
- Kids Health: How TV Affects Your Child
- Media Awareness Network: Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages
- Science Daily: Study Examines Video Game Play Among Adolescents
