The Effects of Media Violence on Children

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Pretend you are a parent. You are at home and you see your child acting in a hostile and aggressive manner. You ask him where he picked up on this behavior. He replies, “I saw it on Television.” Television violence had a role in the child's behavior. Media violence can have a lasting impression on children, teenagers and adults not only through television, but also through video games. In the past two decades, there has been a significant increase in violent behavior in the United States (Merino 1). This is the result of exposure to violence. More than half of television programs and video games contain some type of violence. Perez Daly says, “’... children are likely to see 8,000 murders and at least 100,000 other acts of violence prior to leaving elementary school at age 12 years. ‘” (1). Exposure to media violence leads to aggressive behavior in children. With the right information about media violence, video games violence, and how parents can decrease aggressive behavior, people will understand the major effects violence can have on behavior.

Background

Children become regular consumers of media around two and three giving them one and an half hours per day of television (Interactive Media and Its Contribution to the Construction and Destruction of Values and Character 7). This increases as time goes by. Now, on average, children use between 38 to 45 hours of media weekly because of family bonding, a leisure activity for the parents, or just because kids are bored (Daly, Perez 1). Because of the amount of technology used, kids continuously get new ideas.

When a child learns values, they are supposed to learn it from their parents, church, schools, and neighborhood. Research shows, though, that a child spends 20 minut...

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...Editorial. Early Childhood Educ. J (2008): 101-104. Web.

Brokin, Adele M. “’But that’s how they Fight on TV.’” Early Childhood Today 19.5: 16-17. Web

“Children, Adolescents, and the Media: Seven Key Issues.” Pediatric Annals 39.9 (2010): 556 Web.

Daly, Laura A., Linda M. Perez. Exposure to Media Violence and Other Correlates of Aggressive Behavior in Preschool Children. American Press Inc, 2010. Print

Kane, Harrison D., Gordon E. Taub, B. Grant Hayes. “Interactive Media and Its Contribution to the Construction and Destruction of Values and Character.” Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education & Development. (2000): 1-10. Web

Merino, Noel. “Introduction to Is Media Violence a Problem? At Issue.” Editorial. Is Media Violence a Problem?. 2010: 1-5. Web

-----“Media Violence Causes Aggression in Children.” Editorial. Is Media violence a Problem?. 2010:1-6. Web

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