...Does viewing media violence lead to aggression in children? Younger and younger children our beginning to show increasingly violent behaviour. There has been continuing speculation over the main cause of this. The most important question is whether children being exposed to media violence really does reflect in their behaviour. Recent studies have stated that there is no correlation between media violence and children’s aggressive behaviour. The American Medical Association quoted; ‘Media violence affects children’s behaviour’ this can be explained by the learning approach. There are hundreds of shows which constantly show violence such as ‘wrestling’, ‘the sopranos’ or ‘Eastenders’. The learning approach might suggest that children are imitating the violence they see. Huston et al, 1992 carried out a study proving that once a child becomes eighteen they will have witnessed 200,000 acts of violence on television and in the media, including 40,000 murders. Kaiser Family Foundation 2005 shows that children aged between 8-14 spend more time in front of the computer; television and game consoles than any other activity in their lives expect sleeping. There have been over 1000 studies on the effects of media violence. Most of the studies concluded that; ‘children who watch significant amounts of media violence are more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviour’ – Senate Committee on the Judiciary 1999. Bushman, 2001 said that children are affected by media violence at any age but...
Words: 695 - Pages: 3
...Media Violence – Friend or Foe Denise Zurawski Ashford University Media Violence – Friend or Foe Psychologists are concerned regarding the amount of violent behavior that children and even adolescents watch in their own homes through TV programs, video and computer games, even the music that they listen to. Children as well as adolescents are susceptible to these acts of violence that they witness, believing that this is the way of the world. Too much violence in a show or movie may have them believing that such behavior is acceptable and even normal. Observing too much violence in any form can have children as well as adolescents believing that this is a precise interpretation of real life. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that “American children between 2 and 18 years of age spend an average of 6 hours and 32 minutes each day using media (television, commercial or self-recorded video, movies, video games, print, radio, recorded music, computer, and the internet)” (Media Violence, 2001). A significant part of this media disclosure includes acts of violence, which if believed, could very well be acted out by our youths. Research has shown that when children watch media violence, especially if the characters (the bad guys) are portrayed as attractive and not held accountable for their actions, children may be adversely affected, and act out the aggressive behavior seen on TV. As stated in one article the authors note, For decades, researchers have studied...
Words: 2056 - Pages: 9
...Media Violence and Violent Video Games: The Cause for Aggression – Yes or No? Kimberly Fitzgerald-Amend PSYC3520-Introduction to Social Psychology u10a1-Opposing Viewpoints in Social Psychology Capella University March 2013 Abstract Everyone, at one point or another, may display aggressive behavior. Where did this behavior come from? This paper will discuss opposing viewpoints on the role of media violence and video games in the development of aggressive behavior. Included herein will be a brief overview of Albert Bandura’s “Social Learning Theory”; a discussion of media violence and violent video games and their possible roles in the development of aggression; and the ethical viewpoints on violence in the media. This paper will conclude with an overview of all presented information. Media Violence and Violent Video Games: The Cause for Aggression – Yes or No? It is a beautiful, sunny summer afternoon and spending a few hours at the park seems like a great way to enjoy it. However, only a few minutes into it, Tommy pushes Sara off the swing and now going to the park does not seem to have been the best choice. Why did Tommy do this? What causes children to act aggressively? Is it because shortly before coming to the park Tommy played a violent video game; or maybe on his way out he passed through the room where his father was watching a breaking news story about a murder victim? The role the media and/or violent video games play in the development of...
Words: 2069 - Pages: 9
...The Impact of Media on Youth Violence COM/156 April 26, 2013 Dr. P. University of Phoenix The Impact of Media on Youth Violence Children today do not spend as much time outside playing as compared to 25 years ago. In that time aggression rates in children have increased and here is why: Mass Media. Has anyone ever wondered what children are watching and what impact it is having on the children? Are parents aware of the types of video games their children are watching or what sites they are viewing when on the Internet? Would it be shocking to hear that children will see more than 16,000 murders and 200,000 violent acts because of mass media by the time they are 18? Aggression in children can be linked to violence in mass media, the amount of time spent on mass media, and desensitization to mass media. Children often have aggressive tendencies that can be linked back to mass media they are partaking in: movies and television shows containing violence, as well as playing video games that contain violence. Huesmnn (2007) wrote research evidence has accumulated over the past half-century that exposure to violence on television, movies, and most recently in video games increases the risk of violent behavior on the viewer’s part…the recent increase in the use of mobile phones, text messaging, e-mail, and chat rooms by our youth have opened new venues for social interaction in which aggression can occur. (The Impact of Electronic Media Violence: Scientific Theory and...
Words: 1585 - Pages: 7
...Violence in Media As young adults, we experience the exposure of violence in all mediums of communication, such as TV shows, movies, video games, and music lyrics. We may have stopped counting how many crime investigation shows are in primetime or how many ways of killing people are in the Saw series. We just keep consuming those materials and even look for more violence as excitement. As we become so obsessed with the genre, we may have forgotten the importance of awareness to the issue. Statistics give us a better idea about the big picture. According to Media Education Foundation, researches indicate that about 89 percent of the top-selling video games contained violent content, almost half of which was of a serious nature. Two-thirds of Hollywood films released in 2001 were rated “R.” (Media Violence Facts, 2005) In September 2000, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that 80 percent of “R” rated movies, 70 percent of restricted video games, and 100 percent of music with “explicit content” warning labels were being marketed to children under 17. With this amount of exposure, researchers estimated that by the time the average child is eighteen years old, they will have witnessed 200,000 acts of violence and 16,000 murders. (TV-Turnoff Network, 2001) Those numbers reminds us to think about the issue. Is it too much? What effect does it have on our life, especially for children and adolescents? As we are still looking for the correct answers, multiple cases have showed...
Words: 4071 - Pages: 17
...Columbine incident and wanted to create their own version but using a bomb instead of guns (Los Angeles Times, 2012.) Many American citizens might argue the rise in violence in children and teens is attributed to the amount of violence found in different medias such as, television and video games. According to Macionis, society views violence in television and media as the reason behind high aggression in children and that the two are directly linked (p. 124.) Violence in television has become more graphic and has had lawmakers and citizens concerned as early as the 1950’s. In 1952 the House of Representatives held a meeting to regarding violence in media and stated, “Television broadcast industry was a perpetrator and deliverer of violence,” (Parents Television Council, 2011.) According to the New York Times, the US Surgeon General Jesse Steinfield said, “it is clear to me that the casual relationship between televised violence and anti-social behavior is sufficient to warrant appropriate and immediate action,” (1999.) The history of violence in media shows how the regulations have changed from the early days of television and media to present day cable, Internet and other forms of media. Overtime, society has come to accept such violence in television, media and games. The issue is how much violence children and teenagers are exposed to. (1950’s) The Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) prohibited obscene and indecent material, which was defined by what the majority...
Words: 1025 - Pages: 5
...Research Paper Outline, Does violence in the media contribute to violent behavior in children? 1. Since the creation of television parents, professionals, and spiritual leaders have been concerned about the content of television. Particularly in children, research shows that children’s exposure to violence in the media contributes to violent behavior. Research will show the examination of violent behavior in children is relevant in several ways due to media exposure. Research will examine Psychologist Albert Bandura’s work on social learning and the tendency of children to imitate what they see. a. Children who are exposed to media content have a surprisingly lure to violence on television. Media gives children a false sense of reality, the media presents to children how easy it is to be violent and not allowing the effects of violence without showing them real life circumstance. b. Movies and Television use popular and likable character to promote violent movies. “The sheer quantity of violence on television encourages the idea that aggressive behavior is normal” (Stossel 175). 2. Children may become less sensitive to the pain and sufferings of others. Does violence in the media contribute to violent behavior in children? 1. Since the creation of television parents, professionals, and spiritual leaders have been concerned about the content of television. Particularly in children, research shows that children’s exposure to violence in the media contributes to violent behavior...
Words: 397 - Pages: 2
...Media Violence Jessica Higginson PSY101: Introduction to Psychology Instructor: Hillary Locke Sept. 28, 2014 Media Violence and Violent Behavior in Children Is violence on television turning our children into violent, destructive, hateful people? Television shows today can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior (Bee, 1998: 261-262). Violence surrounds us due to most of what is on television is violent. For example take Saturday morning cartoons; the level of violence during Saturday morning cartoons is higher than the level of violence during prime time. During prime time there are six to eight violent acts per hour while there are twenty to thirty violent acts during Saturday morning cartoons ("Killing Screens," 1994). Before children finish grade school, they will have witnessed up to eight thousand murders and one hundred thousand violent acts on television (Levine, 1995: 143). Children learn about life through media more than in any other manner. The average child spends approximately twenty-seven hours per week watching television, which means that children spend most of their time only watching television and sleeping (Minow & LaMay, 1995: 32-33). Also, it has been proven by many studies that there is a positive relationship between television violence and behavioral problems in children. The research done by Wood, Wong, and Chachere (1991:378) has shown that "exposure to media violence increase viewers' aggression." This paper...
Words: 2539 - Pages: 11
...difference is that the cockfights were replaced with media violence. This has been a raising concept since the invention of television and introduction of the video games. This essay will discuss the validity of the claim that media violence causes aggressive behavior on the juvenile audience. The paper will firstly show the correlation studies and experimental studies about media violence and its influence on children. It will then move to other reasons which causes the aggressive behavior. Finally, this essay will also examine the influence of aggressive video games on players. Children found a new environment of amusement after the television came on the scene. They were exposed to large number of new programs. Even if there was a potential peril to juveniles, people were not aware of what sorts of programs or what quantities of it were dangerous. At that time there was not enough proof that violence programs was the cause of aggression (Carter& Strickland, 1993). Thus, the researchers began to conduct various kinds of research and studies to prove the correlation between the media violence and the aggressive behavior among juveniles. The early correlations studies found that there were some differences between the viewers and non viewer’s outlook. Those differences did not exist before the television was introduced to the market. In addition, the findings showed that there was an influence of television on the way how children though, especially about jobs, social surroundings...
Words: 1738 - Pages: 7
...Everything that children see or hear in the media early on in their lives affects them in some way. Positive parenting role models indicate that in the best interest of our children we should limit their exposure to violent acts. Unfortunately, violence is one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Over sixty percent of television shows being shown in prime time contain some form of violence. There are two very opposite sides of this issue. The media who market the violent television, video games and other forms of entertainment argue this is safe entertainment and the others argue that violence promotes violence Current research tends to agree with the proponents who argue that violent media is associated with aggressive behavior. Risky behavior by children and young adults can include violence against others, lack of remorse for consequences. The type of faulty thinking creates stressors in children which can lead to the onset of many different symptoms. Children who view media violence are more likely to have increased feelings of hostility, decreased emotional response to the portrayal of violence and injury that lead to violent behavior through imitation. An example here would be the television show Jack Ass. There have been several accidents related to young men attempting stunts that are done on the show. The act of imitating what they have seen on a television show causes injury to themselves or others around them. The Academy of Pediatrics says “More...
Words: 1933 - Pages: 8
...When Children See Too Much While violence is not new to the human race, it is an increasing problem in modern society. With greater access to firearms and explosives, the scope and efficiency of violent behavior has had serious consequences. We need only look at the recent school shootings and the escalating rate of youth homicides among urban adolescents to appreciate the extent of this ominous trend. While the causes of youth violence are multifaceted and include such variables as poverty, child abuse, family psychopathology, exposure to domestic and community violence, substance abuse and other psychiatric disorders, the research literature is quite compelling that a child's exposure to media violence plays an important role in the origin of violent behavior (Watson). While it is difficult to determine which children who have experienced televised violence are at greatest risk, there appears to be a strong correlation between media violence and aggressive behavior within vulnerable "at risk" segments of youth. Children spend more time in front of the television every week than they do on any other activity except sleeping (Muscari 31). Exposing children to violence can desensitize them to violence and cause them to act more aggressively. To understand human attraction to violent entertainment, it is necessary to look not only at, but beyond, the mass media. Depictions of violence, bloodshed and death are not new, and they certainly are not a product of the electronic...
Words: 3991 - Pages: 16
...VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA OF AMERICA JEFFREY MUHLNICKEL MR. DAVID KERWIN EN 1320 AUGUST 27 2013 Many Americans feel that the viewing of violence in the media reinforces negative behavior in society, especially among children and young adults. "Three thousand studies have been done since 1955 on the link between television and violence; 2,980 of them found a correlation between the two. We hear little about that because we get most of our news from television" (Peterson). With this much research one must acknowledge that there is a problem in America involving sex and violence in the media. We cannot blame all societal problems on the media and its portrayal of these issues, but we can become educated, ourselves, in order to better facilitate the healthy lives of our children. "Violence grabs the headlines, but violence itself is a result of a society that promotes selfishness, greed and instant gratification" (Peterson). Violence on public television often catches us in a serious debate. Concerned parents fear that viewing inappropriate images presented by the media will corrupt America's youth. They cringe at the idea of our nation's children growing up to be vicious killers due to the brutal violence often seen on TV. Some blame television for most, if not all, of the ills of society and its children. "Truly it accounts for about 10 percent of violence, which means that 90 percent is caused by other things," Leonard Eron says. "Violence is a multi-determined...
Words: 2119 - Pages: 9
...Media has the supremacy to influence millions of individuals through countless formats. Media is everywhere in our daily lives, in television, motion pictures, and radio, influencing what society consume to what society wear. “Media is a very powerful tool capable of mobilizing people’s contemplations and ideologies” (Mock 2004). Most people find television an escape from their hectic daily lives. In our society today, there is an ongoing debate about violence in the media. Media violence has been an issue that most of the literature seems to avoid, but it is important in our lives. To give you perspective on just how much violence kids see on TV, consider this: “The average American child will witness 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18. Kids may become desensitized to violence and more aggressive. TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want” (Kids Health, 2010). With this one can see how much of an influence T.V has on kids. As the teens and kids continue to watch and read these violent images depicted in music and film, detrimental effects affect their judgment, attitudes, and behaviors. Concerns about media violence have grown as television has acquired a global audience. While TV violence is not the only cause of aggressive or violent behavior, it is clearly a significant factor. Television can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior. Unfortunately...
Words: 1253 - Pages: 6
...Violence in American Culture and How it Effects Adolescents Parents are starting to believe that violence in video games, television, and music are having effects on their children. With all the violence that is out there in the media today, should parents be worried that it may be having a harmful effect on their children? This is the question that parents are asking themselves today. Some people today are noticing that their children are acting more aggressively today. Teachers are also reporting that children at school are also acting out with a bit more aggression than normal. Could this be one of the effects that violence could be having on children today? Today parents will finally learn about some of the harmful effects that may or may not be affecting their children. There are two sides almost every story, and we will explore both sides to the question, “is the violence in the media having a harmful effect on my child?” It has been said that violent video games have a harmful effect on children, according to David Bickham (2009) of the Center on Media and Child Health, “there is a strong and consistent relationship between viewing violent media and increased levels of anxiety, desensitization, and aggressive thoughts and behaviors among young people.” Bickham (2009) also found that children exposed to violent video games in laboratories behave more aggressively than children who played non –violent video games. There have also been studies done that show the long...
Words: 1417 - Pages: 6
...The Effects of Media Violence When was the last time the television could be turned on without individuals being exposed to some form of violence? Violence is seen in movies, reality TV, throughout news networks, and more. It seems as if media is aiding in a worldwide violence craze. Because media is the biggest source of advertisement and promotion, it has become incredibly easy to influence people in our society, more importantly our youth. According to the American Psychological Association, there are three major effects the media has on youth in our society. The effects include: children being less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, more fearful of the world around them, and children are more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others. (American Psychological Association, Nov 2013). Adolescents today are exposed to violence in all forms of the media such as video games, movies, television shows, and many others. As a result, the lives of adolescents are being tremendously impacted. To young people, the impact of media violence is not always evident, however it definitely exists. Because young children imitate the things they see, it is easy for children to imitate violent actions seen throughout various media outlets. In addition, Eugene Beresin, Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training, states, “Before the age of four, children are unable to distinguish between fact and fantasy and may view violence as an ordinary occurrence...
Words: 819 - Pages: 4
