Violence Affects Children

Shealynn Percle Com 170

October 20, 2011 Instructor Greene

Abstract Television violence affects children by encouraging immunity to the horror of violence, gradually accepting violence as a way to solve problems and imitate the violence they observe on television. Children can become immune to violence through extensive viewing that can cause aggressiveness. Those who watch violence on television and there isno punishment tend to grow immune to violence. Gradually accepting violence as a way to solve problems is common in those who view it every day. Most children solve problems with violence when they see it on television and at home. Imitating violence seen television is becoming more common. Children see violence on television and thinks they can do it. Becoming immune to violence, gradually accepting violence as a way to solve problems and imitating are the main effects of children watching violence on television. Thesis: Excessive viewing of television impacts children through teaching children to rely on violence to solve a problem, causing aggression and,building immunity to sensitivity. Television violence affects children by becoming immune to the horror of violence, gradually accepting violence as a way to solve problems and imitate the violence they observe on television. People need to pay attention to the programs their children watch and set limits on the amount of time they spend watching television. Alsopoint outthat it is television and not real life. Making sure to stress the belief that violent behavior is not the best way to resolve a problem. It decreases time spent on more beneficial activities such as reading, playing with friends, and developing.

Children can become immune to violence through extensive viewing that can cause aggressiveness. Extensive viewing of television violence by children causes greater aggressiveness. Children gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems and are common in those who view it every day. Becoming immune to violence as a way to solve problems, and imitating are the main effects of children watching violence on television. Those who watch violence on television and there are no punishment, tend to grow immune to violence. Most children solve problems with violence when they see it on television and at home. Imitating violence seen on television is becoming more common. Children see violence on television and think they can do it. Television violence affects children by encouraging immunity to the horror of violence, gradually accepting violence as a way to solve problems and imitating the violence they observe on television. Children can become immune to violence through extensive viewing that can cause aggressiveness. Those who watch violence on television, and there is no punishment, tend to grow immune to violence. Gradually accepting violence as a way to solve problems is common in those who view it every day. Most children solve problems with violence when they see it on television and at home. Imitating violence seen on television is becoming more common. Children see violence on television and think they can do it. Becoming immune to violence, gradually accepting violence as a way to solve problems, and imitating are the main effects of children watching violence on television.

The acts of violence are committedevery dayby school-aged children. Psychologists and scientists have been studying these children is to try and figure out what is causing such acts of violence. Through such extensive research over the years, they have found that the more violence a child is exposed to, the more the child will act out.Mostof the research that has been conducted, shows that television violence is the main Influence in children’s aggressive behavior. According to the Institute for social research, aggressive behavior is a learned behavior that aretaught to our children by the media violence that they are exposedto almost every day of their lives. Children in the United States watch television on an average of seven and one fourth hours per day, 5,000 hours by the first grade and 19,000 hours by the end of high school. These numbers are surprising, becauseit is more hours than children spend in school. These numbers are higher in younger children because they do not have the same perceptions of what is real and what is not as older children do. In other words, aggressive adults had to have learned their behavior as children and were exposedto more violence on television. Scientists have looked at the shows that our children have been watching and have come up with some interesting results. The studies that these scientists have been conducting have found that the behavior in aggressive children in school was a result of the shows they watched, especially in cases which ofthe viewing was of high violent content. They also show that more destructive children relate to warlike characters, have fantasies of combat, and expressed violent attitudes from watching violent programs.

According to research, television violence provided and, acting out process for the children to show aggressive behaviors in relationships with others. These same children were also more likely to perform poorly in school and often were less popular with their peers. Although aggression was found often in children who watched television, it is really not the only factor that plays a part in children’s violent behavior. The studies have found that it does play a major role in the behavior because it affects them so young. In a study commissioned by the ABC network,a team at Temple University surveyed young males who had been imprisonedfor violent crimes. Result of these studies show that 22 to 34%of the young males, especially those who were the most violent, said that they had imitated crime techniques learned from television programs. It concluded that these males watched an average of six hours of television per day, about twice as much as children in the general population at that time. Violent television makes our children violent and later in life makes the adults violent. The media still does not think that there is too much violence on television. Research in public communications also suggests that exposure to television violence contributes to increased rates of aggression and violent behavior. The government is trying to make some changes to stop television violence. One way is the new V-chip that allows parents to block unwanted shows from their television. They are also trying to set a rating system for the television shows according to their violent content. These attempts are not the favorites of the television media and Hollywood, who thinks it is unconstitutional.

There aremany ways thatparents can limit their children’s exposure to violence. Restricting the amount and types of programs children watch is probably the most effective and best practice for children. However, there are also strategiesspecifically appropriate for children at different ages(Josephson, 1995). In most cases, parents do not need to worry much about their infants being negatively impactedfrom television; even though it is probably best to limit their exposure to violence for fear that they mightimitate negative behavior(Josephson, 1995). It is definitely true that television violence is not to blame totally for the causes of children’s aggression. It is also true that some children are a great deal more likely to be affected by television violence than others, inmost children arelikely to be more aggressive no matter what. The effect of television violence leads these “at-risk” children to be even more aggressive than they would otherwise be. Although those who are “at-risk,” are a minority, they are more likely to be the majority of aggressors. Television violence not only changes children behavior, but alsochanges society in general to eventually becomethe aggressive adults of today. Television promote violence and crime among children, although most people look at television as entertaining. Television is influencing children to become more aggressive every day. Television violence affects children’s behavior like also producing a false idea in the mind. More violence that a child watches the more violent that child reacts. Children observing television violence may arouse feelings associated with aggressive thoughts, but at the same time it may reduce emotional reactions to the negative consequences of aggression for the victim. Television news programs are clearly not intended for a child, but children depend on television for their knowledge about news events. References Fried, Joseph. (2009). How Does Television Affect Children’s Behavior.dbs/b6/pko230.shtml. 1-6. Although most people look at television as an entertaining and educational way to spend time, some people think there is too much violence in television and that is influencing our young into becoming aggressive in nature and to tolerate violence. Huesmann, Rowell. (1986). Media Violence and Antisocial Behavior: An Overview. Departmant of Psychology, University of Chicago. 1-6 Media violence could provide the original aggressive scripts that children store in memory. Repeated exposures to the same media scripts could increase their retention and lead to changes in children’s attitudes. Josephson, Wendy. (1995). Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages. Department of Canadian Heritage. 1-3. http://www.media- awareness.ca/english/resources/research_documents/reports/violence Children of different ages watch and understand television in different ways, depending on the length of their attention spans, the ways in which they process information, the amount of mental effort they invest, and their own life experiences. These variables must all be examined to gain an understanding of how television violence affects them. Walma van der Molen, Juliette. (2003). Violence and Suffering in Television News: Toward a Broader Conception of Harmful Television Content for Children. American Academy of Pediatrics. 1771-1774. Although most television news programs are clearly not intended for a child audience, children depend heavily on television for their knowledge about news events and they watch more news broadcasts than many parents and other caregivers might think they do. Hi Shealyn, In composing, be sure to format paper in accordance with APA standards. Double space throughout as quadruple pace is not used. View sample APA paper in Center for Writing Excellence. Additionally, be sure to apply the body paragraph format (as practiced in class) to your work. Be mindful of grammar and of repeating sentences and phrases. Providing explanations and examples help to develop your discussion. Continue your dedication to your studies and you will continue to grow in your writing. 70%

References: Fried, Joseph. (2009). How Does Television Affect Children’s Behavior.dbs/b6/pko230.shtml. Huesmann, Rowell. (1986). Media Violence and Antisocial Behavior: An Overview. Departmant of