Researchers have linked violence and juvenile delinquency to television programming since the 1950s. The United States Senate Committee on Juvenile Delinquency held a series of hearings from 1954-55 on the impact of television programs on juvenile crime. According to Cook, Kendzierski, and Thomas (1983), since the Congressional hearing in the 1950s, other reports on the affect of television violence in youth include:â¢National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violenceâ¢Surgeon General's Scientific Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behaviorâ¢The report on children and television drama by the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatryâ¢National Institute of Mental Health,â¢Television and Behavior Report.
These reports agree with each other about the harmful effects of television violence in relation to the behavior of children, youth, and adults who view violent programming. Children do not know the difference between make-believe and reality so they become insensitive.
Children begin watching television as early as six months and are concentrated viewers by the time that they are two or three years old.
Family watching television, c. 1958
KILLERS ON THE LOOSE
tribune Chávez & monarch of Spain indict each oth...Studies have found the amount of television viewing becomes greater with age then tapers off during adolescence (Cook et al, 1983). The violence that view is of greater importance than the amount of television that is viewed.
In addition to youth watching violent television programs, watching television causes youth to become overweight. According to a study, led by the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston; children who watch more than two hours of television a day (violent or non-violent) are more likely to become obese, and have low self esteem than children who watch less than two hours a day, The study analyzed federal data on 2- to 5-year-olds (Ash, 2007). Youth learning criminal behavior, having low self esteem and growing obese are factors that "Hit Home Hard" because the problem starts at...