The Effect of Television Violence on Children and Teenagers.

The Effect of Television Violence on Children and Teenagers

In every Saturday morning cartoon there are 20-25 violent acts, for every hour of prime time television, there are 5 violent acts, and the average grade seven student will have watched about 8,000 murders on T.V in their short lifetimes. This violent programming is having a detrimental effect on children and teens all over the world. Television violence is causing children and teens to be rude and anti-social. It is also causing them to mimic the violent acts seen on TV. Violent television is causing children and teens to be afraid of the real world. Many shows are showing our younger generation a negative way to solve conflicts. Watching violence over and over is desensitizing them to violent behavior. Mainly, it is causing our children and teens to act violently.

Thousands of studies have confirmed that television violence is causing our children and teens to act out violently.

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One major study that showed cause and effect of the relation of television and violence shows that aggressive behavior among children and teenagers is directly linked to television violence. (Murray, 1984) Another study found that children who watched many hours of televisi o n violence in elementary school, turned out to be violent later in their teens (Murray, 1984). The study also found that children who watched a lot of TV when they were eight years old were more likely to be arrested and prosecuted for criminal acts as adults. Around the mid-1970s, new programs were turning up with female dominant characters. Many thought that this would have a positive effect on girls, but they weren't exactly right. Young girls who often watched these shows featuring aggressive heroines grew up to be aggressive adults and were involved in more confrontations, shoving matches...