Television Violence and Children

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer maintains that children learn from television that the easiest way to resolve personal problems and conflicts with others is through violence. There seems to be a clear connection between increasing violence in schools and society generally, and the content of television programs. The writer states that it also appears that the majority of parents do not believe that this continual exposure to violence is harmful to their children's development. The writer then points out that there is a significant increase in children's tendencies to aggression as a result of TV violence, which is demonstrated by social psychology research, the very strong evidence of longitudinal studies relating to children's aggression, and evidence from other types of research. The writer concludes that parents and concerned citizens need place pressure on the mass media to produce responsible programming.

Outline:
Introduction
Social Learning
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Violence is increasing in schools and colleges all across North America, and our whole society is accepting of violence. Children learn rapidly because they absorb information but lack the ability to discriminate between the messages that they are receiving. As Tulloch maintains, many forms of violence such as police violence depicted on TV are complicated social dilemmas. The existence of these problems does not indicate the society's attitude to violence but instead demands moral judgment and understanding of social meanings. Children obviously do not have the maturity to place this violence in context. Children learn from TV programs that the simplest way to resolve a dispute is through using fists or guns. However, messages about violence are received through a process. Based on the social cognitive model, aggressive behavior is preceded by a number of steps of information processing."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anderson, Craig & Bushman, Brad. "The Effects of Media Violence on Society". Science 295, 29 March 2002: 2377-2379.
• Browne, Kevin & Hamilton-Giachritsis, Catherine. "The Influence of Violent Media on Children and Adolescents". The Lancet 365.9460, February 19-25, 2005: 702-711.
• Centerwall, Brandon. "Television and Violence: The Scale of the Problem and Where to Go from Here". JAMA 267.22, June 10, 1992: 3059-3063.
• Lachlan, Kenneth; Smith, Stacy & Tamborini, Ron. "Models for Aggressive Behavior". Communication Studies 56.4, 2005: 313-330.
• Smith, Marilyn. "Television Violence and Behavior". Emergency Librarian 24.2, 1996: 34-37.

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