Whether watching TV violence in childhood increases aggression and violent behavior in the short- and long-term has been studied since the 1950s. There is no consensus on the issue, partly because there could be a third variable such as a high energy level that "might cause a person to both choose to watch aggressive shows and act aggressively," according to "Understanding Psychology," a college textbook.
Causes
Watching TV violence in childhood "has been linked" to aggression later in life, according to "An Invitation to Health." The college textbook reports that adults who watched more violent television as children are more apt to commit violent crimes and abuse their spouses and children. However, the book reports that biological causes such as low levels of neurotransmitters in the brain and serious mental illnesses and and developmental causes such as violent parents, substance abuse and poverty are more important "roots of aggression and violence."
Evidence
Two studies of television viewing habits concluded that children who watched more violent television shows became more aggressive immediately afterward and were "at an increased risk of aggressive behavior as adults," according to the Media Awareness Network, a Canadian nonprofit group that has conducted studies on television's effect on real-life violence for decades. In one study, the 30-year-olds in Columbia County, N.Y. who watched the most violent TV as 8-year-olds were the most likely to treat their children and spouses aggressively.
Contrary Evidence
Japanese television is more violent than American television, but Japan's murder rate is much lower than the American murder rate, according to the Media Awareness Network. This fact has led some researchers to question whether other studies on the topic are valid, according to the network, which is supported financially by Canada's government and Fortune 500 companies. In fact, the U.S. murder rate is about 35 times higher than Japan's murder rate, reports the college textbook "Essentials for Health and Wellness."
Culture
A few studies have concluded that "the introduction of television into a community leads to an increase in violent behavior," according to the Media Awareness Network. In one study, University of Washington professor Brandon Centerwall concluded that the introduction of television in South Africa in 1975 was "related" to the skyrocketing murder rates of 1987, when many of the children of 1975 were adults. Researchers studying the impact of introducing violent TV in rural Canadian communities also found short- and long-term increases in aggression.
Attitudes
Watching a lot of violent television can "desensitize" children to real violence and affect them as adults, according to the Media Awareness Network and "Understanding Psychology." Becoming desensitized to violence can lower inhibitions against violence and make being aggressive a "legitimate response to particular situations," the textbook reports. However, watching a lot of violent TV can also convince viewers that the world is more dangerous than it really is and make them "more passive, more anxious and more fearful" as adults, the Media Awareness Network reports.
References
- Media Awareness Network: Research on the Effects of Media Violence
- "Understanding Psychology"; Robert S. Feldman; 2002
- "Essentials for Health and Wellness"; Gordon Edlin, Eric Golanty, Kelli McCormack Brown; 2000
- "An Invitation to Health"; Dianne Hales; 2003
