Violence and TV CDC-public health –Average child views 3 hours of TV a day –Adolescents see thousands of assaults and homicides –Up to age 4 children cannot differentiate between fantasy and reality –After age 4 children begins to differentiate cognitively, however this does not change the emotional imprinting-under stress children revert to emotional imprinting

TV Models Huesmann and Eron (1988) found identification with TV models to be an important predictor of aggressiveness and suggested that if children like and identify with aggressive models, they rehearse “aggressive scripts” in their own mind, thereby strengthening the tendency to behave in a similar manner..

Canadian Study on TV violence 3 towns in northern Canada –2 obtained TV for the first time –1 did not obtain TV –Investigators took baseline observations of children interacting with each others at play –Followed up in all 3 towns Control children – no change in violent/aggressive responses Experimental children – violence/aggressive acts increased 120%

Belson Study Studied men’s lifetime rate of TV violence in young men between 12 and 17 Interviewed for acts of violence The more violent TV watched in higher the relationship to serious crime, rape, assaults, animal abuse

Prospective Study In 1960, took all 3 rd graders in rural county in NY and followed to age 30 yrs. Frequency of serious crimes related to TV Viewing

South Africa Study South Africa had no TV until after TV USA Homicide USA South Africa NO TV \homicide

TV and Homicide rates The relationship between the acquisition of TV predicting the timing of subsequent increase in violence rates can be found in various subpopulations. Black versus white TV ownership Rural versus metropolitan ownership Getting a TV predicts an increase in violence R=.87 this is 72% of variance Lag time of approximately 10 to 15 years believed to be due to effects to children.

Exposure to violent television has been found to increase subsequent aggression, especially among boys ( Liebert and Baron, 1972)