DOES TELEVISION VIOLENCE MAKE CHILDREN

SIGNIFICANTLY MORE VIOLENT?

(FROM SOCIOLOGY 1020/ FALL SEMESTER 2007)

ANGELA L. GREEN

ENGL-R51

MODULE 4.4 - DIGITIZED TEXT

NOVEMBER 11, 2010

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 Television is a pervasive element in American society today and is

seen as having a great deal of influence, especially over the young.

According to psychological research, violence on television affects

children negatively. The major effects of seeing violence on television are

that children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of

others, more fearful of the world around them and more likely to behave

in aggressive ways toward others. What causes television violence to

make children violent? What are implications and are there solutions?

The world today truly shows that youths are influence by TV

violence. For instance, the Toronto Star newsletter claims that charges

laid by Canadian police against youths

ages 12-17 for violent offenses have

more than doubled in the last five years.

Some believe that there is truly a link

between the rises of youth violence

and the escalating of scenes portrayed

in movies and on television. This quote

led to a magazine article to comment that “TV has a major role in

desensitizing and conditioning young people and in glamorizing violence

as the preferred method of solving problems” (Awake Magazine, p.28-

29).

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 Since the earliest days of television, violence has played a

prominent role in television on westerns, police shows, and war dramas,

not to mention cartoons and children's programming. British researcher

William Belson stated that “boys who thrived on violent TV shows were

more likely to use of bad language, aggressiveness in sport, threatening to

use violence on one another” (Young People Ask 1989, p. 290-291). A 70-

page report on television violence shows how children of different ages

watch and understand television in

different ways, depending on their

attention spans: Infants can pay

attention to a TV set for short periods of

time while toddlers pay more attention

to the TV set when it is on. Preschoolers begin

with an exploration approach to TV while

elementary children develop the cognitive ability

to follow continuous plots and consequences of

character’s actions. Adolescence tends to

revolve around independence, sex and

romance, music videos, and horror movies

(Josephson, 1995).

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 There were implications that children's viewing of violent

television programming is associated with peer isolation. Children who

watched violent content spent less time with friends and that there may

be a reverse correlation whereby lonely children watch more television

(Stockwell, 2006). A Professor of the University of Arizona stated that

while exposure to media violence is not necessarily the most potent factor

contributing to real world violence and aggression, it is the most

pervasive (Kunkle, 2007). A survey at Scholastic.com was done on kids

about the effects of watching violent TV shows and movies:

♦ 50% of the kids voted that watching violent TV

shows and movies did not have an impact on

people's behavior.

♦ The majority of girls voted that violence on TV and

in the movies did make people more violent.

♦ About 10% of students thought that violence on TV

and movies made people less violent (Scholastic.

com).

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 There are solutions in which parents and teachers can do.

Parents can watch at least one

episode of the program that

their child views. That way they

can better understand the

content and discuss it with them.

They should explain the

questionable incidents or violence that occur and discuss alternatives

to violent actions as ways to solve problems. They also need to teach

their children to differentiate clearly between fiction and real life. The

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAENY)

recommends and supports the reinstitution of the Federal

Communications Commission (FCC) standards establishing limits on

violent depictions during hours of children are likely to watch

television. Broadcasting standards should prohibit product-based

programming in recognition and featured-length programs whose

primary purpose is to sell toys, especially when those toys facilitate

imitation of violent or aggressive acts seen on television. NAEYC

believes that early childhood teachers also have a responsibility to

assist children to become critical viewers of all forms of media, and to

encourage the constructive use of the media for instilling positive

social values.

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Teachers need to be aware of what is currently being broadcast to

children and to inform parents of the impact of violent media on

children’s development.

They can work with children

when themes of television

violence appear in their play to

facilitate more appropriate

problem solving and creative,

imaginative play. When negative

or violent themes appear as a regular part of their children’s play

they should inform parents and support them in their efforts to

monitor children’s viewing habits (NAENY, p.2-3). The article “Do

kids watch too much violence on TV” explains that parents should not

let their child have a TV in their bedroom while doing their

homework or while eating. They also

should give their child options. For

example, they can help their child find

other things to do with his or her time

such as playing, reading, learning a hobby, sport, instrument or an art

(Neighborhood Help Plan, p. 7). Parents should remember to not

allow violence into their home. The parents are the child's role models

from which he or she learns.

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 The evidence is clear: TV violence is unacceptable for children,

causing them to be more violent, to look at the world as a violent place,

see violence as a legitimate means of solving problems and conflicts, and

to fear the world and other people. Even though there are ways that we

can limit television violence, fixing is

not going to be easy. There are many

factors that have to be considered and

people to be convinced. This

problem will, no doubt, never go

away and continue to get worse as the

years go by. However, there are

measures that can be taken to prevent the children from ever being

exposed to such things. After all, what's the world going to be like when

the people who are now children are running the world? Therefore, it is

to parents, professionals, and others concerned with the welfare of

children to continue to stop this television violence on their behalf.

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 Works Cited

American Associate of Pediatrics (2006). Do Kids Watch Too Much TV? Retrieved

October 25 2010, from Neighborhood Health Plan, spring 2006.

http://www.nhp.org/PDFs/Members/OurNeighborhood_06_Spring_en.pdf

Josephson, Wendy L. (1995, February). Television Violence: A Review of the Effects

on Children of Different Ages. Retrieved October 25 2010, from Media

Awareness Network Web Site: http://www.media-

awareness.ca/english/resources/research_documents/reports/violence/upload/tele

vision_violence.pdf

Kunkel, PhD, Dale (2007, June, 26). The Effects of Television Violence on Children.

Retrieved October 25 2010, from America Psychological Association Web Site:

http://www.apa.org/about/gr/pi/advocacy/2008/kunkel-tv.aspx

Media Violence in Children’s Lives. (1994, July). Retrieved October 25 2010, from

NAEYC: National Association for the Education of Young Children Web Site:

http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSMEVI98.PDF

(November 8, 1993). Youth Violence – Why? Awake, 28-29.

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Stockwell, Michele (2006, May, 5). More Evidence on Sex, Violence, Media, and

Children. Retrieved October 25 2010, from Progressive Policy Institute Web

Site:

http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=114&subsecID=144&cont

entID=253845

Violence in the Media Survey Results. (n.d) Retrieved November 2 2010, from

Scholastic Inc Web Site:

http://teacher.scholastic.com/kidusasu/violence/chart5.htm

Young People Ask-Answers That Work. How Can I Control my TV Viewing Habits?

New York: Watchtower & Bible Tract Society, 1989. Pages 290-291.

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