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The Effects of Violent Media on Children, Adolescence, and Adults

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The Effects of Violent Media on Children, Adolescence, and Adults
The Effects of Violent Media on Children, Adolescence, and Adults
Cheri Burns
COM/220
August 17, 2011
Mary McWilliams

The Effects of Violent Media on Children, Adolescence, and Adults
Violence in every form of media is a part of daily life. Children of all ages all over the world are being affected by violence in one form or another. This paper is focusing on television and gaming that children are engaged in. There have been many studies looking at this problem and ways to prevent children from being negatively affected. Children at as young as five years old are exhibiting aggressive behavior as a result of seeing violent behavior in cartoons and regular television. Some of these children as they grow up will become more aggressive as they are attracted to violent television, movies, and games. Of these, as they develop into adolescence will become aggressive adults, causing fights and battering their spouses. Unfortunately, some of these aggressive violent adults will kill people, whether it is an isolated incident or they become serial killers, they are overwhelmed by thoughts of violence. Not all children exposed to violence will become violent, but studies have shown a strong correlation between violent media and aggressive behavior in children, adolescence, and adults.
Children
This generation of children is seeing more violence on television than ever before. The world around us is becoming more violent, and the news media takes advantage of that opportunity. The news media knows that people want to see this violence, whether the people would admit it, there ratings show the truth. “Most children in the highest grades of elementary school watch the news at least several times a week and even many 3- to 8-year olds regularly watch television news” (Walma van der Molen, PhD, 2004). Studies have shown that most children have a television in their room which is on all day, so the constant stream of information whether negative or not is


References: Brocato, E. D., Gentile, D. A., Laczniak, R. N., Maier, J. A., & Ji-Song, M. (2010, Winter). Potential Effects on Children. Television Commercial Violence, 39(4), 100. doi:10.2753/JOA0091-3367390407 Bureau of Justice Statistics Cyber Bullying: Statistics and Tips. (2011, August). Retrieved from http://isafe.org/channels/sub.php?ch=op&sub_id=media_cyber_bullying Encyclopedia Teen Violence Statistics2. (2009, August). Retrieved from http://www.teenviolencestatistics.com/content/media-and-teen-violence.html Walma van der Molen, PhD, J Boxer, P., Huesmann, R., Bushmann, B., O 'Brien, M., & Moceri, D. (2009). The Role of Violent Media Preference in Cumulative Developmental Risk for Violence and General Aggression Brocato, E. D., Gentile, D. A., Laczniak, R. N., Maier, J. A., & Ji-Song, M. (2010, Winter). Potential Effects on Children. Television Commercial Violence, 39(4), 100. Doi:10.2753/JOA0091-3367390407 Bureau of Justice Statistics Cyber Bullying: Statistics and Tips. (2011, August). Retrieved from http://isafe.org/channels/sub.php?ch=op&sub_id=media_cyber_bullying Encyclopedia Research on the Effects of Media Violence. (2011, August). Media Awareness Network. Retrieved from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/effects_media_violence.cfm Teen Violence Statistics2 Walma van der Molen, PhD, J. (2004, June). Toward a Broader Conception of Harmful Television Content for Children. Violence and Suffering in Television News, 113(6), 1771. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/113/6/1771.full.html
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