| American children watch an average of three to
fours hours of television daily. Television can be a powerful
influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior.
Unfortunately, much of today's television programming is
violent. Hundreds of studies of the effects of TV violence on
children and teenagers have found that children may: |
- become "immune" to the horror of violence
- gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems
- imitate the violence they observe on television; and
- identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers
Extensive viewing of television violence by children causes
greater aggressiveness. Sometimes, watching a single violent program
can increase aggressiveness. Children who view shows in which
violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are
more likely to imitate what they see. Children with emotional,
behavioral, learning or impulse control problems may be more easily
influenced by TV violence. The impact of TV violence may be
immediately evident in the child's behavior or may surface years
later, and young people can even be affected when the family
atmosphere shows no tendency toward violence.
While TV violence is not the only cause of aggressive or violent
behavior, it is clearly a significant factor.
Parents can protect children from excessive TV violence in the
following ways:
- pay attention to the programs their children are watching and
watch some with them
- set limits on the amount of time they spend with the
television; consider removing the TV set from the child’s bedroom
- point out that although the actor has not actually been hurt
or killed, such violence in real life results in pain or death
- refuse to let the children see shows known to be violent, and
change the channel or turn off the TV set when offensive material
comes on, with an explanation of what is wrong with the program
- disapprove of the violent episodes in front of the children,
stressing the belief that such behavior is not the best way to
resolve a problem
- to offset peer pressure among friends and classmates, contact
other parents and agree to enforce similar rules about the length
of time and type of program the children may watch
Parents can also use these measures to prevent harmful effects
from television in other areas such as racial or sexual
stereotyping. The amount of time children watch TV, regardless of
content, should be moderated because it decreases time spent on more
beneficial activities such as reading, playing with friends, and
developing hobbies. If parents have serious difficulties setting
limits, or have ongoing concerns about how their child is reacting
to television, they should contact a child and adolescent
psychiatrist for consultation and assistance. |
The American Academy
of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) represents over 6900 child
and adolescent psychiatrists who are physicians with at least five years
of additional training beyond medical school in general (adult) and
child and adolescent psychiatry.
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