The Impact of Media Violence on Children and Adolescents

J. L. Freedman, in his article "Violence during the Mass Media and Violence in Society", agrees that there may be some indication that aggression in behavior increases following viewing a violent program, yet he disputes that the final results are as high as Huesmann and Moise demonstrate (Freedman, 1996, p. 193). He lists 3 difficulties with the claims that researchers make. A single stands out as the type of measurement or test used of the subjects right after viewing a violent program. For example, a single question was "If I had a balloon, would you would like me to prick it?" (p. 192). Second, Freedman says there seems to be no allowances produced for distinguishing the benefits of violence inside results of interest and excitement. Third, he charges that these tests had been contaminated by the demand characteristics with the situation, folks try to do what the experimenter demands (p. 192). He also asserts that "all the positive outcomes have been obtained by a single look for group, which conducted studies with quite tiny numbers of youngsters and used inappropriate statistics" (p. 193). His opinion is Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2001). Abnormal Psychology. Boston: McGraw Hill.

As Huesmann and Moise contend, you'll find "well-validated theoretical explanations" to your connection among aggression and children's viewing of media violence (Halgin, 2001, p. 187). As young children imitate what they see, if they're viewing an average of 23 hours of television per week, and that viewing is of violent programs, then they will imitate what they've watched on TV. If they're already predisposed for the aggressive behavior, for example conduct or oppositional defiant disorder, then TV is exposing them to an atmosphere that promotes antisocial behavior, cueing them to act this behavior out (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2001, p. 452). In getting desensitized to the final results of violence seen on TV, kids also come to be desensitized to violence around them, increasing the risk of developing psychological disorders (p. 442). Kids also discover to justify their aggressive behavior by watching television as TV perpetrators are usually attractive, suffer minimal punishment and demonstrate a lack of remorse for their behavior (Hepburn, 1997). Finally, observing violence factors a physiological arousal in little ones that is certainly desensitized over time as more and additional violence is observed. Little ones who have a tendency to be much less physiologically aroused are also less apt to respond to punishments or benefits for their behaviors (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2001), thus making it hard to discipline them once their behavior gets out of hand.

Huesmann, L. R. & Moise, J. (June 1996). "Media Violence: A Demonstrated Public Health Threat to Children." Harvard Mental Well being Letter. In Halgin, R. P. (2001). "Does Media Violence Promote Violent Behavior in Young People?" Clashing Views on Abnormal Psychology. Guilford, CN: Dushkin/McGraw Hill.

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