ms. The researchers also found an association between television viewing patterns and choices and expressions of tacit approval for or acceptance of violence and abusive behavior directed against others.
Valerio, et al (1997), studied the role of parental control or supervision in shaping children's viewing patterns. They found that while most children in their sample (consisting of 156 Italian children of nursery school age) watched television for three to four hours per day - a figure replicated in the United States by Bar-on (1999) as well as Strassburger and Donnerstein (1999) - parents who reported "editing" children's program choices also had fewer concerns or complaints about violent or aggressive behaviors than did parents who did not edit program selection. Parents also appear to be well aware that violent television images can foster excessive and inappropriate aggressiveness in younger children, and that children model their own behaviors and attitudes based on television programming and images.
Uberos, et al (1998), examined the potential relationship between violent television programming and children's injuries. They found that while watching TV for 3 to 4 hours a day may be associated with lessened involvement in potentially injurious activities (i.e., sports, rough play), there is no valid way at the present time to determine how children are psychologically and emotionally impacted by exposure to repeated acts of violence on TV. They argued that research is needed into how children translate on-screen violence into their own affective presentation. Similar comments have been advanced by Stapleton (2000), who believes that the effects of "virtual violence" are long-lasting and measurable.
Stapleton (2000) lists among the ill effects of TV violence the following:
. Children who see a lot of violence are likely to regard violence as an effective way of settling conflicts and as
. Viewing violence can...