Literature Review on

How did Television Programs Influence the Trend in Children Agression?

By Chuah Huey Theng 22380108

Abstract

One of the earliest studies on media violence dates back to 1956. Twelve children
were shown a relatively aggressive cartoon, Woody Woodpecker, and twelve viewed The
Little Red Hen. Researchers found that those that watched the more violent television show
imitated this behaviour in play. These children were throwing toys and being more aggressive
to other children. This experiment, although in sync with later, more developed studies, was
only a limited display of the influence of media violence on children (Coleman 2010).

We are constantly flooded with violent images from the media. And if we ignore the
news and limit our TV viewing to entertainment programs, there is more than a 60% chance
that the program we choose to watch will present us with at least one violent act- National
Television Violence Study 1999 (Potter 2003). Media violence is one of the causes of the
increase in violence among children. It affects the children by instilling values and belief
system resulting in developing aggressive and violent culture. Children deriving from all
different backgrounds and cultures are affected by acts of media violence, especially when
they are excessively exposed to violence (Huesmann, Moise-Titus, Podalski and Eron 2003).

The research analysis will focuses on the statistically research from past years until
now on the children violence that influenced by TV programs that affects the children
between ages of 7 to 12i. TV influences behaviour. Violence on TV occurs in most of the
programs that aired to public. There are thousands of studies have shown that violence on TV
influences behaviour and attitudes among children who exposed more on TV programming.
The TV violence is linked to aggressive behaviour in children. Throughout several decades of
effects research, the link between violent media content and human aggressiveness still not
been proved. May be the media researchers have used the wrong approach in their
examination of the media audience (Carter & Weaver 2003, p. 14). In my commentary, I
discuss television's effects within the context of normal child development. Also give an

i
Period of Concrete Operations of a child (7-12 years). Refer from
http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/piaget.shtml
overview of natural exposure to television as a cause of aggression and violence. Then,
summarize my own research on findings and data statistics on television as a cause of
violence.

Objectives

i) To record, analyze and interpret data on television violence of children from age 7
to age 12 from year 1999- 2009.
ii) To evaluate how influences of television violence which affect behaviour of
children can be altered.
iii) To study and define the term violence and aggression that appeared on the
children and analyze the television violence that presence in television program.

Methodology of my research

i) Quantitative research
Conduct 50 to 100 survey questionnaires forms to primary students’ parents.
- The purposes of conduct the survey questionnaires are to forming the data
that the time scales of the children that exposed to TV.
- To study on children’s behaviour that has at least a TV at home and the
programs that they preferred.
ii) Qualitative research

Case studies. To help me to obtain a wealth of information about my research

topic. I will conduct a comparative case study on the children who expose to TV
violence and normal children and the level of their aggressiveness.
Literature Reviews

A)
Television and Violence:
The Scale of the Problem and Where to Go From Here
by Brandon S. Centerwall, MD, MPH

The researcher, Centerwall had made his research topic on television and violence.
His reading from previous researchers has included on this designed research. His own study
on television and homicide has included in as well. This research method is almost similar on
my research as analyze and interpret data on television violence of children.

Centerwall had referred to Rothenberg's Special Communication in JAMA, "Effect of

Television Violence on Children and Youth", first alerted the medical community to the
deforming effects the viewing of television violence has on normal child development,
increasing levels of physical aggressiveness and violence (Centerwall 2002). He looked into
the impact of television on children is best understood within the context of normal child
development. It shows that not all laboratory experiments and short term field studies
demonstrate an effect of media violence on children's behaviour, but most do. To prove this,
Centerwall showed a case study by exposed a 14-month-old boy on a violence television
program, he learned forward and studied the adult’s action. The infant then pulled the toy
apart that given to him. By coming in the conclusion that Centerwall studied from Meltzoff, it
shows that the infants exposed to the instructional video, 65% could later work the toy, as
compared with 20% of unexposed infants. This study was done to a 14-month-old boy, but
for my study, I will focus on children from age 7 to 12 because they are most capable to
differentiate the rights and wrong as they are on concrete operational stage.

For the study of ‘natural exposure to television as a cause of aggression and violence’
is about a city in Canada called “Notel” by the investigators in year 1973. The research
showed about the city was firstly exposing to the television and the researches were done on
the residents’ behaviour after they exposed to the television programs. The result showed that
the crime rate of the city had been increased years to years after the introduction of TV. It
shows, more exposure to the TV will caused the behavioural of person changed. Besides,
there are few studies listed on his report. The study showed the TV and its effectiveness on a
society (South African) and it leads the crime rate increased tremendously. From these
researches, it can help me to understand on my second objectives as to evaluate how
influences of television violence which affect behaviour of children can be altered.

B)

The Influence of Media Violence on Youth

by Craig A. Anderson, Leonard Berkowitz, Edward Donnerstein, L. Rowell Huesmann,

James D. Johnson, Daniel Linz, Neil M. Malamuth, and Ellen Wartella

This research has been done by a group of professional researchers from various
universities that group together to run the research on the influence of violence on youth.
Even though the title of research is about the youth but the report did mentioned about the
children’s as well. So it does helpful for my research and it may help me to reach my second
objective as well.

The purpose of this research that done by the group of researchers is to summarize
current scientific knowledge about five critical questions (Anderson et al. 2003).I found these
five critical questions are very helpful on my research which can lead me on the track of my
research and it can be as my reference when doing my research study.
Besides, the survey from the researchers on the violent content of media and the
factors affecting children exposure to violent content are helpful to me. The research that
been done by these researchers are more focusing on compiling the previous record of
various researcher and there are statistics data provided to show on as their research evidence.
They also study about various types of survey methods. For example, longitudinal surveys
which cannot be apply on my research due to time limitation but that is a good references an
study for the influences towards the person attitudes.
C)
Media Violence Research and Youth Violence Data:
Why do They Conflict?
by Cheryl K. Olson, M.P.H., S.D.

This research is about the media violence which influenced teen violence. The
research also been done by study on the previous researchers’ study. The research includes
several crime ethics that conducted by teens after they exposed to video games. The media on
this research is target to video games but with it’s also categorized under media violence.
Certain of the data and study may be helpful on mine research of the influenced of the
attitudes and the data of the crimes rate that existed from past. There is also the definition of
aggression that will help me to achieve my third objective. The level of aggression and how it
works been studied by Cheryl on this research. From her research, did mention about the test
conditions that are difficult to generalize to the real world which also may happen on my
research topic as well. The ways to overcome the problems is very helpful on the similar
research topic.

D)
Is Psychopathology the Key to Understanding Why Some Children Become Aggressive
When They Are Exposed To Violent Television Programming?
By Tom Grimes, Lori Bergen, Kathie Nicols, Eric Vernberg, Peter Fonagy

The study is about the children’s reaction to media portrayals of violence has been
conceptualized in different ways by different investigators. For examples, some argue that
children who like to watch dramatically portrayed violence may be driven to do so by
existing aggressive (Grimes et al. 2004). The research is more towards the psychopathology
of the individual that influenced by violent television programming. The research includes
the former researchers’ research and their implementation on the research. One thing that I
found interesting in this copy of review is about the method of how they conduct their
researches. It is the most helpful on my research through the study on their methodology by
selecting 103 boys between the age 8 and 12 years old (fulfilled on my research target). The
boys were tested in an audio-visual studio by screening them some movie scenes. Their facial
expressions were recorded through a one-way mirror. The arrangement of equipments that
used also recorded on this paper. Then measurement is involved the clinical diagnosis. They
also conduct in demographical questionnaire to the children and experienced their violence
through the listing of the programs that they watched. Besides, there were other records that
done by the researchers on the children on this paper as well, e.g. psychological
measurement, facial expression and etc. I found that this review is very useful as for my case
study.

E)
Violence and the Media
By Cynthia Carter and C. Kay Weaver

The study is about television’s crimes and misdemeanours. From the study, ‘by the
time the average American child graduates from elementary school, he or she will have to
seen about 8000 murders about 100000 other assorted acts of violence on network
television…The numbers are higher if the child has access to cable television or a
videocassette player’( Carter & Weaver 2003). The research also has done by include formers
researches’ research, articles and data of the crime rates. In this study, Carter and Weaver had
listed several significant crimes that caused by the television violence. For example, the
murder case of 2-year-old James Bulger by two 10-year-olds in 1993. These all may
supportive on my research objectives. From the research, they found that boys to be more
prone to the effects of viewing violence than girls because they viewed violence in male
characters as socially desirable (Carter & Weaver 2003). This study had helped me to scope
down my research by focus more on male children than female children for my case study.
Others from the studies are mainly discussing about television violence for adults, reality
crime shows, violent sports programming which is not under my scope of research.
References

Gitlin, T 2001, The ordinariness of American Feelings, online, retrieved 17 April 2010, from
http://www.opendemocracy.net/forum/document-details.asp?DocID=723&CatID=98

Huesmann, R.L.,Moise-Titus,J., Podalski, C.L. and Eron, L.D., 2003, Longitudinal Relation
Between Children’s Exposure to TV Violence and Their Aggressive and Violent Behavior in
Youth Adulthood:1977-1992, p.201-221.

Potter, W.James, 2003, The 11 Myths of Media Violence, Sage Publication, California.

Carter, C and Weaver, C.Kay, 2003, Violence and the Media, Open University Press,
Buckingham.

Grimes, T., Anderson, James A and Bergen, L, 2008, Media Violence and Aggression:
Science and ideology, Sage Publication, California.

Grimes, T., Bergeb, L., Nichols. K., Vernberg., Fonagy, P., 2004, ‘Is Psychopathology the
Key to Understanding Why Some Children Become Aggressive When They Are Exposed To
Violent Television Programming?’ Journal of Human Communication Research, vol. 30, no.
2, pp. 153-181.

Coleman, B 2010, Media Violence Research: Studies on the Influence of Media Violence on
Children. Online, retrieved 18 April 2010 from
http://medialiteracy.suite101.com/article.cfm/media_violence_research

Centerwall, Brandon S., 1992, ‘Television and Violence. The Scale of the Problem and
Where to Go From Here.’ Journal of the American Association, vol. 267, no.22
(http://webs.lanset.com/koba/centwall5.pdf)

Anderson, Carig A., Berkowitz, B., Donnerstein, E., Huesmann, Rowell L., Johnson, James
D., Linz, D., Malamuth, Neil M., Wartella, E., 2003, ‘ Psychological Science in the Public
Interest’ Journal of American Psychological Society, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 81-110.
(http://www.psychologicalscience.org/pdf/pspi/pspi43.pdf )

Olson, Cheryl K., 2004, Media Violence Research and Youth Violence Data: Why Do They
Conflict?’ Journal of Academic Psychiatry, vol. 28, no. 2, summer, pp. 144-150.
(http://ap.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/28/2/144)