Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency
Training
Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital
While violence is not new to the human race, it is an
increasing problem in modern society. With greater access to firearms and
explosives, the scope and efficiency of violent behavior has had serious
consequences. We need only look at the recent school shootings and the
escalating rate of youth homicides among urban adolescents to appreciate the
extent of this ominous trend. While the causes of youth violence are
multifactorial and include such variables as poverty, family psychopathology,
child abuse, exposure to domestic and community violence, substance abuse and
other psychiatric disorders, the research literature is quite compelling that children's
exposure to media violence plays an important role in the etiology of violent
behavior. While it is difficult to determine which children who have
experienced televised violence are at greatest risk, there appears to be a
strong correlation between media violence and aggressive behavior within
vulnerable "at risk" segments of youth. In this article, I will
briefly review the impact of media violence on children and adolescents, and
indicate the vital role physicians can play in helping to diminish this
powerful cause of violent behavior.
Over the past 30 years there has been extensive research on
the relationship between televised violence and violent behavior among youth.
Longitudinal, cross-sectional, and experimental studies have all confirmed this
correlation. Televised violence and the presence of television in American
households have increased steadily over the years. In 1950, only 10% of
American homes had a television. Today 99% of homes have televisions. In fact,
more families have televisions than telephones. Over half of all children have
a television set in their bedrooms. This gives a greater opportunity for
children to view programs without parental supervision. Studies reveal that
children watch approximately 28 hours of television a week, more time than they
spend in school. The typical American child will view more than 200,000 acts of
violence, including more than 16,000 murders before age 18. Television programs
display 812 violent acts per hour; children's programming, particularly
cartoons, displays up to 20 violent acts hourly.
How does televised violence result in aggressive behavior?
Some researchers have demonstrated that very young children will imitate
aggressive acts on TV in their play with peers. Before age 4, children are
unable to distinguish between fact and fantasy and may view violence as an
ordinary occurrence. In general, violence on television and in movies often
conveys a model of conflict resolution. It is efficient, frequent, and
inconsequential. Heroes are violent, and, as such, are rewarded for their
behavior. They become role models for youth. It is "cool" to carry an
automatic weapon and use it to knock off the "bad guys." The typical
scenario of using violence for a righteous cause may translate in daily life
into a justification for using violence to retaliate against perceived
victimizers. Hence, vulnerable youth who have been victimized may be tempted to
use violent means to solve problems. Unfortunately, there are few, if any,
models of nonviolent conflict resolution in the media. Additionally, children
who watch televised violence are desensitized to it. They may come to see
violence as a fact of life and, over time, lose their ability to empathize with
both the victim and the victimizer.
There are other, new forms of violence to which children and
adolescents are exposed. In one recent study, it was demonstrated that 15% of
music videos contain interpersonal violence. Still another new source of
violent exposure is access to the Internet and video games. There is little
data on the incidence of violence on the Internet; however, there is concern
about sites that may advocate violence, provide information on the creation of
explosive devices, or reveal how to acquire firearms. There is also little research
on the impact of violent video games. We do know, however, that they are
extensive and have a role-modeling capacity. The fact that the child gets to
act out the violence, rather than to be a passive observer, as when viewing
television or movies, is especially concerning to experts.
Child and adolescent psychiatrists, pediatricians and other
physicians can have a major impact on the effects of media violence. The
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has created a list of recommendations to
address television violence. It suggests that physicians talk openly with
parents about the nature and extent of viewing patterns in their homes. Parents
should limit television to 1-2 hours daily and watch programs with their
children, enabling them to address any objectionable material seen. Physicians
should make parents and schools "media literate," meaning they should
understand the risks of exposure to violence and teach children how to
interpret what they see on television and in the movies, including the intent
and content of commercials. In doing so, children may be increasingly able to
discern which media messages are suitable. Schools and homes should teach
children conflict resolution. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry, along with medical organizations, has been a strong advocate for
television ratings and installation of chips to block certain programs.
Physicians, in their role as health promoters, should become more active in
educating the media to become more sensitive to the impact of violence on
youth. We should be speaking up to the networks, cable vendors, local stations,
federal agencies, and our political officials to help insure that programming
decisions are made with an eye open to the potential consequences to the
viewing audience, and that when violence is present, there are adequate
warnings provided to the public. The arena of media violence is a new frontier
where physicians can promote health through public education and advocacy.
Source : .aacap.org
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