Media Violence

The relationship between children and adolescents watching shows or engaging in interactive games that stress violence, and actual acts of violence, is of great personal and professional interest to me. As a parent, educator and member of a society in which youth violence is on the rise, the effect of media violence on children is worthy of study. For this reason, I chose the topic of media violence for my earlier research topic. Whether or not exposure to media violence causes many children to behave in an aggressive or violent manner, or just aggravates their tendency toward aggressive behavior, the point is that exposure to media violence has an impact on their behavior. It would be too simplistic to state, however, that exposure to media violence is the only factor involved in child aggression and violence. Other factors include the stability of the family unit, and personally witnessing acts of aggression by family member, or even by strangers in a parking lot.

Although watching repeated acts of violence portrayed in the media does not affect all the children the same, according to Eron (1992):

heavy exposure to televised violence is one of the causes of aggressive behavior, crime, and violence in society. . . .Television violence affects youngsters of all ages, of both gender, at all socio-economic levels and all levels of intelligence. The effect is not limited to children who are already disposed to being aggressive (p. 1).

Related Essays

The Media and Violence .... In "Issue 12: Does Media Violence Promote Violent Behavior in Young People?", RP Halgin sets forth two articles, "Media Violence: A Demonstrated Public Health .... (1414 6 )

Link Between Violence and the Media .... 16). The medical community has been concerned with the issue of media violence and its impact on viewers since the 1950s. However .... (1712 7 )

Violence and the Mass Media .... Widespread agreement now exists (including from the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics) that media violence can stimulate .... (854 3 )

Media violence and children in America Media violence and children in America is worth studying because many adults don't realize that: Prime-time television shows depict an average of 5 to 6 .... (557 2 )

IS MEDIA VIOLENCE HARMFUL TO CHILDREN? Is Media Violence Harmful to Children? .... Findings such as those delineated above have led to speculation as to whether media violence does harm to children. .... (1326 5 )

ld me that the shows are shot as events as they really happen, but "probably" the shows are edited. Her perspective was not shared by her seven-year old sister who said that the shows were real and could not be edited. A report published by the American Psychological Association (APA) cited studies that have shown that children's TV shows contain about 20 violent acts each hour, and that children who watch a lot of television are more likely to think that the world is a dangerous and mean place. Other studies report that children often behave differently after they've been watching violent programs on TV, and that these children were more likely to strike out at playmates, argue, disobey authority and were less willing to wait for things than those children who watched nonviolent programs (APA HelpCenter: Get the Facts). It is not only parents and educators who feel strongly about the adverse affect of media violence. A report issued in 1972 by the Office of the Surgeon General placed the issue of media violence in the same category as smoking and cancer. In other words, the Surgeon General declared media violence a public health issue. The report concluded that violence on television does influence children who view that p

Category: Business - M