|
|
 |
 |
Media Violence and the Effect on Children
In today's society, children are often exposed to violent television programs and video games. Repeated exposure to these images can be detrimental to a child's development because violence is a learned behavior. To address this problem, Child & Family Resources has piloted an educational program called ACT--Adults & Children Together--Against Violence. ACT, which is presented to adults through a series of training courses, gives parents, educators, clergy, law enforcement and others the tools needed to teach children early violence prevention and promote healthy attitudes and behaviors.
For more information about ACT and bringing the program to your
community, please contact Nacie Arnold at: info@childandfamily-nj.org
Research has shown:
- Violence is largely learned behavior - and it is often learned early in life.
- Adults are the most important influence in shaping a child's life.
- Adults can learn to model and teach young children constructive ways of coping with anger and frustration.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics on Media Violence, November 2001:
- Exposure to media violence makes children more aggressive, fearful, disrespectful, and insensitive to violence.
- The strength of the correlation between exposure to media violence and these behaviors is higher than the correlation between calcium and bone loss, lead ingestion and lower IQ, and condom non-use and sexually acquired HIV.
Children and Media Consumption
- Teens Report: Stop feeding us violence in the media! ( Youth & Violence, Ask the Children Series, Families & Work Institute, www.familiesandwork.org)
- Parents Report: Society barrages our children with harmful messages! TV offers children offensive, disturbing messages. Parents feel that they must be on their guard to protect their children ("A Lot Easier Said than Done", Public Agenda and State Farm Insurance Company, www.publicagenda.org/specials/parents/parents.htm)
- Children spend an average of 35 hours per week viewing media (tv, video games, movies, etc.)
- 32% of 2-7 year olds have televisions in their bedrooms
- 65% 6-18 year olds have televisions in their bedrooms
- A national television violence study concluded:
- Nearly 2/3 of all programming contains violence
- Children's shows contain the most violence
- Violence is glamorized
- Perpetrators often go unpunished
- Shows that portray violence as entertainment, such as the new program 'KingPin':
- Undermine messages taught at home and school about how people should treat each other;
- Encourage the use of violence to solve problems AND to have fun;
- Promote stereotyping (e.g. "Mexicans are violent, bad people");
- Create new "norms."
- Effects of Media Violence on Young Children
- Increases mean-spirited, aggressive behaviors;
- De-sensitizes children to the effects of violence on the victims;
- Increases fearfulness, mistrust, and self-protective behavior;
- Reinforces the message that violence is the best way to solve problems.
Children are great imitators AND they view TV differently than adults! What a child learns about violence, intolerance and trust, a child learns for life! We as adults must "teach carefully."
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO
- Turn the TV off! Even if kids are awake in another room!
- Even infants are influenced by emotional messages delivered by TV;
- Children 8 and younger cannot distinguish reality from fantasy;
- Children between the ages of six and eleven think TV reflects real life, and they become active and aggressive after viewing violent scenes.
- If you allow your children watch a violent program, pull up a chair and watch it with them.
- Talk with children about what they are seeing and feeling and how it makes them feel.
"Did you like it when __ happened?"
"How did it make you feel?
"What could they have done differently to solve problems?"
"What are the characteristics of the good guys and bad guys?"
For additional information about media violence and media literacy, please visit these Web sites:
www.lionlamb.org
www.aap.org/policy/re0109.html
www.mediafamily.org
www.truceteachers.org
www.familiesandwork.org
www.publicagenda.org/specials/parents/parents.htm
|
|
|
|
