How the Violence in Media Affects Children

Television scenes pump out fistfights, gunfire and comedic whacks with frying pans; video games depicting felonies and bloody war battles line the walls at game stores. It would be nearly impossible to shield children entirely from this onslaught of violence. As violence becomes more common in media, understanding how it affects children is critical.

  1. Exposure

    • Estimates vary as to how much violence a child views on average. One study reports that "the typical American child will view more than 200,000 acts of violence, including more than 16,000 murders before age 18." Even children's shows, cartoons in particular, display dozens of acts of violence an hour.

    Effects

    • Both clinical and anecdotal evidence demonstrate that young children will often imitate in play violent acts that they have witnessed on television. Studies have shown chemical changes in the brains of children after watching violent scenes on television, inhibiting their ability to concentrate and increasing aggressive tendencies. Other studies have linked aggression in some "at risk" children to exposure to violence in the media.

    Television vs. Video Games

    • While television involves passive viewing, video games present a special case of concern to researchers because of the role-playing aspect of many violent games. Video games have been less widely studied than television, but again, studies often show links between aggressive behavior and a lack of sensitivity to violence in children who play violent video games. The U.S. Army uses video games for training in part to desensitize soldiers to violence. Studies have demonstrated that children who play violent video games for extended periods are more likely to react aggressively to confrontation.

    Controversy

    • The studies linking media violence to violence in children are not uncontested. Some blame researcher bias, claiming that by showing violent programming to children and then observing them as they act aggressively toward each other without intervening, the researchers are implicitly encouraging violence in their study groups. Analysis of the research may be incomplete; data may be withheld that shows all television viewing, not just violent viewing, can encourage aggressive behavior in children.

    Response

    • The negative effects of viewing media violence can be mitigated by parents who discuss with their children what they have just watched on television or experienced in video games. Research demonstrates that parental influence is far more powerful than mass media in affecting children's behavior.

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