The Effects of Television Violence on Children's Behavior

The Effects of Television Violence on Children's Behavior

Television violence causes destructive behavior in children, however; television can be a powerful influence to young viewers in our society. Unfortunately, much of today's television programming are very violent. Many researchers like scientists, pediatricians, and child researchers in many countries have studied to find out what it is about television violence that makes it such a big affect on the way kids act and behave. Sometimes, children think that is a normal thing in our real life, by watching only a single violent program, which can increase aggressiveness on children and become violent, aggressive, and vicious.

Usually, U.S. children begin watching television at a very early age, sometimes as early as six months, and are eager viewers by the time that they are two or three years. The amount of time that children spend watching television is very interesting because like four hours a day, 28 hours a week, by the time they graduate from high school, children spend more time watching TV than any other activity, besides sleeping.

However, children that watch many programs in which violence is very real, parents show no affinity toward violence and that is why the child think that violence is not bad. Normally children cannot tell the differences between real and unreal, that is why young viewers are unable to realize that when a character attacks someone it is real and should not be imitated from them. Also, when television shows that allow the character who commits the crime they do not receive punishment, it teaches children that it is fine to commit a crime because there won't be punishment and kids feel that if they do the same thing as the character from the program who committed the crime they will be a hero, that is why many of the programs that children watch send the message that a conflict always involves a winner and a loser.

The media in general reduces the different values of life, also makes violence and even death, which seem funny and unreal that children do not learn to respect themselves and in general, because of the violent television that is influencing them even more. If parents ignore or approve of their child's aggressive behavior, or if they lose control too easily themselves, a TV control plan will not help at all. In the same way, if parents themselves show violent behavior, they serve as role models for their children too.