The Effect of Media Violence on Children

When children are taught how to tie their shoes, it is because of how their parents showed them. When children are taught how to do math problems, it is because of how their teachers showed them. So with all of these role models, why is there so much violence? It is because children learn from what they see, even if it's on the big screen. Violence in the movies should have strict regulation because it has negative effects on the behavior of children.

First, we must define the "negative effects" of children's behavior. "In 1991, children under the age of ten committed more than 1000 acts of aggravated assault and 81 cases of forcible rape. Juveniles 12 and under committed ...murder, robbery, larceny-theft, and forcible rape"(Bennett 32). Generally, we can all assume that the aforementioned crimes are wrong,but the fact that they were committed by children, shows a fault in the society. It is hard to believe that simply viewing a movie could be so detrimental to children. But there is indeed evidence of specific reenactments of actions in movies. Evidence "...comes in the configuration of corpses, mutilated by disturbed teenagers to resemble victims in slasher movies..."(Violence in America Bender&Leone 163). If movies are so bad for children, wouldn't it be easy to just not allow children to see "violent" movies? This seems to be a simple solution, but one that cannot work for many reasons. The main reason is, mainstream movies that do well in the box office tend to air on public television. "We now view movies on television replete with graphic sickening violence. Some television stations now show these movies in the early evening, when children could be watching"(Raising PG Kids in an X-Rated Society Tipper Gore 60). Unfort...

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...children are of violence, the more it desensitizes them, and the more likely they are to become violent. Dr. Eron and Huesman of the University of Ilinois did a 22 year study of violent behavior due to "a diet of violent entertainment."

The quarter of the children with the heaviest exposure to violence in 1960 at ages nine and ten were found to be convicted of of criminal offences during their adult lives 150% more often than the quarter of children with the smallest exposure to violent entertainment.

Violence has been prominent in film for many years and has not subsided to say the least. There are obvious negative effects on children who view violent films, varying from petty theft to murder and rape. Children should be taught to not watch violent films and parents should discuss with their children the dangers of watching violent films.