DOES TELEVISION VIOLENCE MAKE

CHILDREN SIGNIFICANTLY MORE

VIOLENT?

(FROM SOCIOLOGY 1020/ FALL SEMESTER

2007)

ANGELA L. GREEN

ENGL-R51

MODULE 4.4 - DIGITIZED TEXT

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 NOVEMBER 11, 2010

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

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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

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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.

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 • 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
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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.

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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 B

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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

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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/uplo

ad/television_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&contentID=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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