Effects of Violent Tv on Children

Effects of Violent TV on Children

Richard Jackson

Rasmussen College

        This paper is being submitted on March 17, 2015 for Professor Carol Knight’s PSY1012 General Psychology course.

One has only to turn on the TV to observe the growing of violent and aggressive content in today’s media. For example, WCW (World Champion Wrestling) is viewed by an increasing number of Americans, many of whom include young children and young adults who watch alongside their parents. In addition, network news is littered with graphic renderings of murders, kidnappings, rapes, traffic accidents, war scenes, and others alike of which violence is the key component.  There is a growing body of research that has tackled the questions such as, “How does all of these violent content programs affect our children? What do we know about the impact of TV violence on our children’s values, attitudes, and behavior?” In actuality, we have learned and know a lot about the impact of violent TV on children.  Research has found that TV violence can negatively affect our children on a number of levels.

        “Social science research conducted over the past 40 years supports the conclusion that viewing violent television programming has negative consequences for children,” (Aidman, 1997). Furthermore, such research also concluded that “media violence can encourage children to learn aggressive behavior and attitudes”, plant fearful or hopeless attitudes in children about the real world, and numb children to reality and fantasy violence, (Aidman, 2007). In addition to live studies and experimental studies, it can now be concluded, beyond a reasonable doubt that heavy exposure to violent television is one of the causes of violent behavior and crime in society. Television violence has no specific age nor gender of those it affects. A study which began in 1994 by the National Television Violence Study (NTVS), “defines television violence as any overt depiction of the use of physical force—or credible threat of physical force—intended to physically harm an animate being or group of beings”(Aidman,2007). During this time, this study was one of the largest pertaining to the violent content of the media. The study concluded “only 4% of programs coded had a strong anti-violence theme in the 1995-96 season”, (Aidman, 2007). Although this study lasted for three years, only two of those three were reported for public view and use. In addition to the above reported, the study also reported “58% (1994-95) and 61% (1995-96) of programs coded contained some violence”, (Aidman, 2007). When evaluating the content of programs for children to watch, parents should key in on specific plot elements that portray violence of any sort as these are considered the highest risk for children. In addition, programs which show the violence as being a justifiable act without punishment, and/or having minimum consequences, are also high risk factors contributing to the violent behaviors in children by the media. Along with this, one of the biggest contributing factors of these programs are when the person committing the crime or perpetrator is attractive.” NTVS findings from 1995-96 indicate that these high-risk plot elements abound in U.S. broadcast and cable television. Of all violent acts, 40% were committed by attractive characters, and 75% of violent actions went un-penalized and the perpetrators showed no remorse. In 37% of the programs, the "bad guys" were not punished, and more than half of all violent incidents did not show the suffering of the victim” ,(Aidman, 2007). Based on the analysis of this social science research, there are a few violent effects that can be predicted along with specific plot elements; aggressive behavior, fearful attitudes, and desensitization,(Aidman, 2007).