Media and Children

Social Issues and Policy Review, 2007

Policy makers and the public have been concerned about the effects of media violence on children for decades. Scientific psychological research can be an important source of information for policy, as the goal of science is to separate facts from opinions. This article reviews children's exposure to media violence, describes theories that explain the effects media violence could have, summarizes the research on the effects of media violence exposure, and describes several moderators that can enhance or mitigate those effects. These scientific findings provide useful information for public policy, yet there are many barriers to their use, including misunderstandings of how causality is determined in scientific and public health circles and how large the effects are. Finally, the implications for public policy are discussed, including what has and has not worked in the U.S., what other countries and the international community are doing, and where opportunities for new approaches for effective policies may exist.

Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2015

Media violence on children has been recent phenomenon and this concentration getting prominence in the developing countries particularly in Bangladesh. Exposure to violence in media, including television, movies, music and video games, represents a significant risk to the mental and physical health of children and adolescents. As the study showed that media violence can contribute to aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, nightmares and fear of being harmed.The study is an attempt to understand how, due to rapid expansion of technology and recent media developments i.e. video recorders, computer games and the internet impact on child behavior through medias. Furthermore, increasing extremely violent images and video, movies and its aftermath obviously have been focal attention for the development planners, practitioners and social researchers for these consequences. Methods of research are mainly based on both primary and secondary sources thus; it is includes field observations, documentary analysis and interviews. The study also extensively tried to explore the causes and consequences of violent behaviors of children in relation media-exposures. Being explanatory in nature, SadarUpazila under Gopalganj District was selected purposively for this endeavor. For this purpose 100 adolescents age group (12-18 years) were taken for this purpose and both qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Principle of proportionality also applied for this endeavor. Hence, the study explores the determining factors which are significantly concerned to the socio-cultural matter related to violence of media exposure in the study context. The impact of media-violence on children and adolescents seem to alarming. Parents are often not playing their vital role for helping to diminish this powerful cause of violent behavior. Children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, children may be more fearful of the world around them and children may be more likely to behave in aggressive or hurtful ways toward others. Pediatricians and other child health care providers can have advocacy for a safer media environment for children by encouraging media literacy. Thus more thoughtful and proactive role of media can be useful and effective to diminish such violence in considering the social reality.

South African Journal of Childhood Education, 2016

Over the past several decades, child development specialists have expressed concern over whether television violence, or media that depicts harmful intent expressed towards another person, poses a serious threat to the healthy development of children. Exposure to violent media by preschool-aged children especially has received little attention, although viewing habits in this age group have increased dramatically over the past decade, raising concerns for parents, paediatricians and researchers (Common Sense Media & Rideout 2011; Sigman 2012). Some research suggests that the effects of media violence on child well-being are negligible. For example, a meta-analytic review of 25 published studies found the effects of violent media on aggressive behaviour to be modest at best (Ferguson & Kilburn 2009). However, this meta-analysis included studies on adults and children from several age groups. Some recent studies provide strong evidence that preschool-aged children who view violent television are more likely to behave aggressively (Christakis et al. 2013; Robertson, McAnally & Hancox 2013; Verlinden et al. 2012). The aim of the present critical review was to examine the state of the evidence supporting a link between early childhood (2- to 6-year-olds) exposure to violent media and subsequent health and well-being outcomes. We searched through several decades (1971–2013) of educational, psychological, sociological, psychiatric, paediatric and communication literatures. Only peer-reviewed studies that employed either randomised control group designs or strong correlational designs which control for important confounders, such as baseline aggression and family context, were retained.

… Society 16th Annual …, 2004

Many studies have shown that media violence has an effect on children's subsequent aggression. This study expands upon previous research in three directions: (1) by examining several subtypes of aggression (verbal, relational, and physical), (2) by measuring media violence exposure across three types of media (television, movies/videos, and video games), and (3) by measuring media violence exposure and aggressive/prosocial behaviors at two points in time during the school year. Four hundred thirty 3 rd through 5 th grade children were surveyed. Children who consumed more media violence early in the school year were more verbally aggressive, relationally aggressive, and physically aggressive later in the school year (by self-report, peer nomination, and teacher nomination). Children who consumed more media violence early in the school year were also more likely to have a hostile attribution bias later in the school year, and to be less prosocial later in the school year (by peer-and teacher-nomination). Media violence exposure is described as a risk factor for aggressive beliefs and behaviors, and it is argued that media violence exposure in combination with other risk factors for aggression (e.g., hostile attribution bias, sex, prior aggression) can produce an effect greater than any single risk factor alone.

2010

Summary—Research on violent television and films, video games, and music reveals unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts. The effects appear larger for milder than for more severe forms of aggression, but the effects on severe forms of violence are also substantial (r �.13 to.32) when compared with effects of other violence risk factors or medical effects deemed important by the medical community (e.g., effect of aspirin on heart attacks). The research base is large; diverse in methods, samples, and media genres; and consistent in overall findings. The evidence is clearest within the most extensively researched domain, television and film violence. The growing body of video-game research yields essentially the same conclusions. Short-term exposure increases the likelihood of physically

The Lancet, 2005

There is continuing debate on the extent of the effects of media violence on children and young people, and how to investigate these effects. The aim of this review is to consider the research evidence from a public-health perspective. A search of published work revealed five meta-analytic reviews and one quasi-systematic review, all of which were from North America. There is consistent evidence that violent imagery in television, film and video, and computer games has substantial short-term effects on arousal, thoughts, and emotions, increasing the likelihood of aggressive or fearful behaviour in younger children, especially in boys. The evidence becomes inconsistent when considering older children and teenagers, and long-term outcomes for all ages. The multifactorial nature of aggression is emphasised, together with the methodological difficulties of showing causation. Nevertheless, a small but significant association is shown in the research, with an effect size that has a substantial effect on public health. By contrast, only weak evidence from correlation studies links media violence directly to crime.

PEDIATRICS, 2009

Exposure to violence in media, including television, movies, music, and video games, represents a significant risk to the health of children and adolescents. Extensive research evidence indicates that media violence can contribute to aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, nightmares, and fear of being harmed. Pediatricians should assess their patients' level of media exposure and intervene on mediarelated health risks. Pediatricians and other child health care providers can advocate for a safer media environment for children by encouraging media literacy, more thoughtful and proactive use of media by children and their parents, more responsible portrayal of violence by media producers, and more useful and effective media ratings. Office counseling has been shown to be effective.

Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 2004

2006

This document is the author's final manuscript version of the book section, incorporating any revisions agreed during the review process. Some differences between this version and the publisher's version may remain. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it.