IMPACT OF

TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!

Mostkids enterinto theworldof televisionlong beforetheyenter school.Itis

very hard to avoid T.V. if you are a kid.Peoplein the house are usually tuned into
T.V. Evenin some houses the T.V isperpetually oneven without anyonewatching
it. It isacommon fix forparentsandcaregiverstousetheT.V.asababysitter.Also
many parents buy videosthattheythinkcanmaketheirkidssmart.OfcourseT.V.in
modernization can be a good thing. Prescholars can get help learning the
alphabets, numbers, shapes, colours, identify living and nonliving things etc., on
public television, gradeschoolers can learn about wildlife or nature shows and
parents can keepupwith currentnews.No doubt T.V.can beanexcellenteducator
andentertainer,butat thesametimedespiteitsadvantagestoomuch televisioncan
bedetrimental.
Childrenwho consistentlyspend morethan4hoursperdaywatchingT.Vare
morelikelytobeoverweight.
Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior but
alsofearthattheworldisscaryandthatsomethingbadwillhappentothem.
T.Vcharactersoftendepictsriskybehavior,suchassmokinganddrinkingand
alsobeenforcegenderroleandracialstereotypes.
T.Vexposesthekidtonegativeinfluencesandpromotesnegativebehavior.
studiesshutthat

IMPACT OF
TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!
Twothirds of infants andtoddlerswatcha screen on an averageof 2 hour a
dayprimarilyT.V,videoorDVDs.
Kids and teens in the age group of 8 to 18 years spend daily four hours in
front of T.V. and additional two hours in front ofcomputer and playingvideo
games.
The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time forbrain development,
T.V. and other electronic media can get in the wag of exploring, playing
electronic media canget intheway ofexploring, playingand interacting with
parents and others which encourages learning and healthy physical and
socialdevelopment.
Everyhourly increase in daily television watching from two andhalfyearsold
isalsoassociatedwithbullyingbyclassmatesandphysicalprowessatkinder.
Garden said Prof. Linda Pagan of the university of Montreal and Chug
SantaJustinechildrenshospital.
A 2014 report published in the International Journal of cardiology suggests
that children in the age group of 2 to 10 who watch T.V. for more than two
hours a day is 30% more likely tobe atriskfor blood pressurecomparedto
thosewhospendlesstimeinfrontofT.V.
T.V. showsand commercials usually showviolence,alcohol,druguseandsexin
apositive light. The mindofthekidislikeaday.Itformsearly impressionsonwhatit
see and these early impressions determine how he see the world and affects his
grownup behavior, for example twenty years of research shows that the children
who are exposed to mediaviolencebecome moreaggressiveaskidsandwhenthey

IMPACT OF
TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!
are older. They aretaught by the T.V.that violence isthe way toresolve unflict as
whenaT.V.herobeatsupabadguytosubduehim.\
T.V Commercials with violent depictions. The message implicitly and often
explicitly is that aggression and violence pay. Children to their costs have initiated
stunts seen in WWF and advertisement. They discovered that violence did indeed
paybutthattheyweretheonespayingthecost.
To an extent T.V. violence is reflection of the violent world the children live in
violence and aggression are instrincstic to the human condition, they always have
been and always will be children enjoy watching cartoons, enjoyhorror and violent
programs. However, children cannot be expected to realize and understand what
lastingimpactthesepleasurablyfeelingmayhaveonthem.

WhatisViolence?
Violence can be defined as theuse ofphysicalforceorverbalabuse whichis
psychologically or physically injuriousto a person or persons andthe destruction of
propertyandanimals.Theactcanbeeitheraccidentalorintentional.
Or more simply put, where T.V. is concerned, violencecan be measured by
howmuchfighting,shooting,yellingorkillingthereusuallyisintheshow.
Violence itself is subjective because there are different degrees of violence.
For example yelling words of abuse at a person is an act of violence and so is
shootingapersondead.

IMPACT OF
TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!
Violence can be basically divided into 2 categories Physical violence and
psychologicalviolence.Psychologicalviolencecanbeverbalorsubtle.
(a)Physicalviolence:Physicalviolenceistheovertobvioussuchaskillingaperson,
mugging,carchase,blowingupbuildingandvehicles,etc.
(b) Physiological Violence Verbal Psychological violence this kind of violence is
whenthedamagedoneinpsychological.Forexample:
Shoutingthisisanactofviolencebecauseitevokesfear.
Threats forexample,Illblowyourheadoffthisisaformofviolencebecause
itismeanttobeawarningbeforetheactualact.
CursesGoddamnit.Thisisswearingandblasphemous.
Subtle psychological violence Thisformof violenceis whenthedoeris usually
out to ruin the victim. This kind of violence is so subtle that on the surface it may
appeartobeviolentforexampleblackmail,cheatingetc.
Researchesdefinehumanaggressionas
(a)abehaviorthatisinclinedtoharmanotherindividual.
(b) The behavior is expected by the perpetrate to have some chance of actual
harmingthatindividual.
(c) the perpetrator believes that the targeted individual is motivated to avoid the
harm.

IMPACT OF
TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!
Aggression can be further defined by its various forms. In direct aggression
the victim caneasilyidentifytheaggressor,whereasinindirectaggressionthevictim
is unable to easilyidentifytheaggressor (BushmanandAnderson, 1998,Crick and
Grotpeler, 1995). Aggression can be further divided into physical, relational and
verbalaggressionwiththedistinctionsdefendedbythemethodofintendingharm.

WhyweneedtodiscussT.V.Violence?
(i) With the growth of electronic mediain India, a childsexposureto televisionand
violenceontelevisionhasincreasedphenomenally.
(ii) There is sufficient evidence tosuggestthat T.V.Violence hasanegative impact
onchildren.
(iii) Through some TV channels do have standards and practices regarding the
depictionofviolence,thereisverylittlebywayofselfregulation.
In 1998,T.V.access andavailabilityinIndiawereanestimated60millionT.V.
owinghouseholds,thatisanaudienceofbetween250300millionpeople.
In 1992 Indians had access to only one channel, that is DD1. By 1998 the
number of channels had increasedto anincredible 50 satellite and cable channels.
Cable and satellite T.V homes are estimated at 20 million with a viewership of
approximately10million.

Typesofinfluenceonchildren

IMPACT OF
TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!
It is useful for us to understand how the children can learn the aggressive
behavior from watching televised violence. Research has shown that there are
basicallyfourprocesseswhichcaninfluencethechild.Theyare:
(a)Observationallearning
(b)attitudechange
(c)Immunization
(d)Justification.
(a)Observational LearningAccording to theadvocatesofobservationallearning,a
childlearnstobehavesaggressivelyfromwatchingviolentactionsonT.V.,justashe
learnsunlivedandsocialskillsfromwatchingparents,siblingsandpeers.
Children who see someone being rewarded for doing something on TV will
imitate that behavior. At the same time, in the case of very young children, they
simplyimitatetheviolentact.
(b) Attitude change TV also exerts its influence on children by molding their
attitudes. The more TV a child watches, the more accepting is the childs attitude
towardsaggressivebehavior.Attitudesinturncaninfluenceonesbehavior.
(c)Immunization There is evidencetoindicate thatviolenceviewingimmunizeand
desensitizes children.Theybecomeimmunizedagainstviolenceandhorrorandasa
resultcometoacceptitasanaturalpartoflife.

IMPACT OF
TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!
(d)JustificationStudiesshowsthatpoliceshowsandcartoonsaretheworstculprits
of violentcontent.These showsmakecarcrashesandhighspeedchasesseemlike
harmlessfun.Theyarenetharmlesstheyaredangerousandoftenfatal.
And just like most make believe situations depicted on the scree, TVs
emphasis on evinciblegoodguysisboundtogivekidsthewrongideaaboutpushing
and shovingtheir way throughlife.In televisionits onlythebad guys whogetshut.
That legitimizes aggression because violence is rarely seen hurting innocent
bystanders.Inthiswaychildrenlearntojustifytheirownactofaggression.
Violence viewing seems to foster insecurity. Self doubt and undue concern
about realor imaginedthreatsof bodilyharmasaresultofwhichchildrentendtobe
moresuspiciousanddistrustfulofothers.

PRIMARYEFFECTS
NationalInstituteof Mental Health (1982)have summarizedtheeffectsofTV
violences...
Violence on TVdues leadstoaggressive behaviorbychildrenandteenagers
who watch violent TV programs. Not all children become aggressive of course but
thecorrelationbetweentheviolenceandaggressionarepositive.

IMPACT OF
TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!
ImpactofT.V.Violence
Studies indicate that the impact of TV/Media violence could be manifold. It
couldbeanyofthefollowingorcombinationofthem.
(i)T.V.Violenceincreasesaggressivebehavior
(ii)Itlegitimizes,justifiesviolenceandaggressionasasolutiontoproblem.
(iii) TVviolence and constantexposuretoitdesensitizesandimmunizesthechildren
torealviolence.
(iv)Itencouragesafearpsychosis.
(v)Itencouragesthechildrentotakethelawintotheirownhands.
(vi)Itisaformofcatharsis,providingonoutletfortheirpentofaggressiveness.

(i) Most violent acts go unpunished on TV and after accompanied by humor. The
consequencesofhumansufferingandlossarerarelydepicted.
(ii) Many shows glamorize violence. TV often promotes violent acts as a fun and
effectivewaytogetwhatyouwantwithoutdireconsequences.
(iii) Evengoodguybeating thebadguysgivesamessagethatviolenceisnormal
andokay.ManychildrenwilltrytobeliketheirGoodguysheroes

IMPACT OF
TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!
(iv) Children imitate the violence they see on TV children unmerge 8 cant till the
difference between reality and fantasy, making them more vulnerable to learning
fromandadoptingasrealitytheviolencetheyseeonTV.
NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) goes on tosaythat therearetwo
otherdeleteriouseffectsofTVviolenceonchildren.
(i) Chronic exposure to violent despite can cause desensitization to violence that
means thatchildrenmay becomemorewillingtoacceptviolencefromothersaswell
asperpetuateviolentactthemselves.
(ii) Overexposure to violence and particularly realistically portrayed violence, may
lead children to believe that world isprimarily a dangerousand unsafe place. They
may begin tooverestimate thepossibilitythattheywillbevictimsofviolence,leaving
themwithunderstressandanxiety.

ResearchFindings
Several studies found that children were less likely to share their toys after
viewing violent cartoons. (Two groups of children watched two different programs,
oneof which hadaggressive content and the otherwas neutral.Thosewhosawthe
aggressive program were found to bemore willingto hurtother children then those
whowatchedtheneutralprogrammed.
With thetechnicalmeansofautomatizationand morerecentlyofdigitalization,
mediacontent haspotentiallybeen more global. Not only does news reach allparts
of the world mass entertainment too has become an international enterprise. The

IMPACT OF
TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!
media themselves differ in their impact. Audiovisual media in particular are more
graphic in their depiction of violence than books or newspapers they leave less
freedomin the individual imageswhichtheviewersassociatewiththestories.Asthe
mediabecomes evermore perfectwith the introduction of threedimensions(virtual
reality) and interactivity (computer games and multimedia) and as they are always
accessibleanduniversal(videoandinternet)therepresentationofviolenceemerges
increasinglywithreality.
Media violence refer to media depictions of aggressiveness and violent
behavior directed atcharacterinthemediastory.Thosecharacterscanbehumanor
nonhuman,cartoonistorvisuallyrealistic.

CARTOONS:
Cartoons, across channels, constitute the single largest form of childrens
entertainment. It has beenfoundthat19.83%childrensprogrammeonDoordarshan
and41.79%onsatellitechannelsareanimated.

ImpactofCartoonViolence:
According to 1991 American National Coalitionon Television (NCT) study of
100cartoons, 50%glorifiedviolence or used it toentertainchildren. Thestudywent
to say that bythe ageof 18, thetypical averagechildinUSAwouldhavewitnessed
200,00 acts of violence including 85,000 killing. At the rate television growing in

IMPACT OF
TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!
India, we can safely estimate that the quantum of violence children exposed toon
televisionherewouldbecomparable.
Doctorssays that the children undertheageof 7havedifficultydistinguishing
realityfromfantasy especiallyon television thatmaking violenceappearfun, prompt
childrentoimitateitevemorewhentheyplay.
News & Current Affairs in 1998 there were five exclusive news and current
affairschannels(in alphabeticalorder BBC, CNN,Star News, Zee Indiaetc) aswell
as news and current affairs on other channels. (Doordarshan launched a news
channel in 1999).Thusexposuretorealviolenceisconstantandconstantlygrowing.
Conflictsandwassituationaretelecastlive.Thiscangiveahorrorofviolence.

T.V.Serials:
Five Channelsalone DD1,DD2,Zee,SonyandStarPlusofferover55serials
over a day. That isagreat deal ofchoice andnochoiceat all becauseallchannels
playthesamekindoffaredramaserialsorcomedies.Thereisconsiderableviolence
inthese.

NatureDocumentaries:
Discovery channel, National Geography and Animal Planetcoverthe natural
world. Their documentary are often filled with very violence scenes of animal
capturing and eating animal. Children who normally have a great affinity with
animals,cansimultaneouslybefascinatedanddeeplydisturbedbysuchsituation.

IMPACT OF
TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!
OtherProgramme&Media:
Thereis also, the whole uncharteredareaof surrealistic music,video, violent
sportssuchasWWFandeven

Research reveals that children tend to focus on the graphic aspects and
intensity of a scene in determining its level of violence (polar and Berry 1999).
Research has shown that childrens cartoon have the highest frequency of TV
violence. Children begin imitating and learning from others at a very young age.
Observingandimitatingotherpeoplesbehaviorisoneofthemostimportantsources
involved in the development of a young childs motor and social skills. Children
observe social interactions and their consequences from numerous sources
parents,peers,oldersiblingsandevenfactorialcharactersplayedinthemedia.
Anumberof laboratory and field experimentsoverthe past halfcenturyhave
examined whether exposure to violent behavior an film and television finds to
increase aggressionrelatedvariablesintheshortLen(Anderson2003,Green2001.
Bushmen and Hussman2001) For example : an experiment involves randomly
assigning children to play a violent an nonviolent video game that had been
previously rated as equalon maydimensions,suchashowfun,frustratingonboring
they are. In this experiment children played their game for 20 minz and thenwere
given opportunities to punish other child. It was found that children who played
violent games gave much noxious punishment. The finding is that where children
are randomly assigned. Watch violent scenes is that children subsequently display

IMPACT OF
TELEVISION VIOLENCE
ON CHILDREN!!!!!!
more aggressive behavior, thoughts, emotions than those in the nonviolent media
conditions.