Does Exposure to Media Violence Cause Increased Levels of Aggression & Violence in Youth?

Young children and teenagers are exposed to violent media in the home and other settings. The exposure can originate from television, computer games, music videos and violent video games. For example, there are approximately 20 to 25 acts of violence an hour on Saturday morning TV shows, and it's estimated kids will see 8,000 hours of TV before kindergarten. The higher the level of a child̵7;s exposure to media violence, the higher the aggressive behavior of the child, says the Adults and Children Together Against Violence website.

  1. Passive and Interactive Media Violence

    • Media violence researchers have concluded that there are several ways media violence influences a young person̵7;s behavior. Passive media violence affects a young person through exposure to television violence in programs, movies or news that is only observed by the child or teen. Young people are also influenced negatively by interactive media violence, where they participate, like in video games or activities on the Internet. Even short-term exposure to violent TV and film media causes aggressive emotions and behavior serious enough to harm others, according to the website Psychological Science.

    Influencing Factors

    • There are certain factors that will influence the degree that media violence has on children and teenagers. The presence of these factors will moderate the negative behavioral actions of the affected child. For instance, depending upon the age of the viewer, previous displays of aggressiveness as well as the intelligence level can determine how violent media will have an influence. In addition, the influence of parents, the child̵7;s social environment or how the child perceives the media as realistic and begins to identify with aggressive conduct can determine the impact of violent media, says the Surgeon General.

    Long-Term Aggressive Behavior

    • Long-term aggressive behavior based upon exposure to media violence has some serious and detrimental effects. Over time, youth who have been exposed to media violence exhibit an increased tendency to be desensitized to observations of violence, whether it is real or fictional. Their physiological reactions to observations of conflict, aggression and violence is neutral; among those not desensitized, viewing these would lead to increases in heart rate, blood pressure and certain brain wave patterns, according to the Iowa State University Department of Psychology. Over time, the increased violent media exposure causes youths to view the world in a more hostile way.

    Effect On Brain

    • Exposure to violent media can have an impact upon a child̵7;s brain if he watches violent television shows or even plays video games. According to Web MD, this is also true for those children who may not have a previous history of aggressive behavior. Dr. Vincent Mathews, a researcher with the Indiana University School of Medicine, found that children who have disruptive behavior disorder had similar disruptive behavior as non-aggressive children exposed to media violence. Both had ̶0;similar patterns of activity in an area of the brain linked to self-control and attention,̶1; according to Web MD.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • Fun Games for Children's Anger
      Kids sometimes throw tantrums when they dont get what they want, and some have trouble managing their anger. Perhaps your child sometimes exhibits problems dealing with anger, and youd like to assist him without consulting a child psychologist or oth
    • Why children should not do chores?
      There are no valid reasons why children should not do chores. In fact, there are many compelling reasons why children should do chores. Heres why:Benefits of Chores for Children:* Develops Responsibility: Chores teach children about taking ownership
    • How to Tell Kids They Stink
      Whether your child is smack dab in the middle of puberty or simply refuses to bathe on a regular basis, she can start smelling rather funky pretty quickly. Body odor, greasy hair and bad breath have the potential to become monumental problems if you