Media Violence Has Correlational Affects That Stimulates Aggression In Most Children

Media Violence has correlational affects that stimulates aggression in most children By David Caban, MBA

1

Media violence such as violent video games tend to influence children cognition, which affects their attitude and social behavior; for instance, children who are excessively exposed to media violence would stem the probability of becoming more expose to other factors of violence that can potentially result in social violence. For example, violent video games, sit-coms whether or not it was designed for children, or adolescents can affect children cognition and brain development. For instance, children interacting with violent video games would gain approval that violence is a normal social form of behavior. Furthermore, adults, such as, parents and-or guardians may deem in the matter of opinion as too how much violent exposure to their children is acceptable without analyzing the harmful affects violent exposure has on their children. Children that are excessively exposed to violent video games may be exposed to other facets of violence that exist within their social environment, which involves lack of, and-or poor parenting. As a result, children can potentially develop the desensitization towards violence, which can potentially affect their social surroundings. Researchers in the past had proven both the validity and reliability of their findings relating violent video games, movies and sit-coms with children and adolescents present and post aggressive responses. However, in some areas there lack little or almost no proof of violent video games with children aggression. For example, social aggression has a few related variables, such as, relational and peer aggression, which can potentially lead into physical confrontations. Areas of study past researchers focused were violent video games, normal children, children with behavior disorders and observing children as an independent variable. The dependant variables were children aggression, such as, social and physical aggression. In some cases violent behavior was also viewed as a dependant variable, because it is a result from aggression. Media violence such as violent video games has been determined as a social role model, because it influences children attitude and social behavior, in addition, depending on the children social environment it can be a reinforcement model. Furthermore, it tends too influence more than the traditional role modeling of both parental and educational role modeling, including older siblings, as well as, extended family members. According to Gonzalez et al., (2004), described, “The media sometimes referred to as a culture mother, culture parent, and culture home or second family” (p.190). Therefore, media violence such as violent video games is a new social role model that influences the perspective of children, which affects society, as well as, the individual. Media violence is sometimes termed as media literacy, because it’s designed to target society, especially, children and adolescents. This is nothing new, but rather, a problematic-issue that has permeated society. Therefore, media literacy has been for many decades aiming too influence the minds of society, especially, children. As a result, it becomes a surrogate parental role model that has influences the education systems which imparts knowledge into the minds of children, which would prelude during their adolescents up to early adulthood. The imparting of aggressive and violent behavior or perception into the minds of children that could potentially result in the cultivation of negative attitudes and social behavior, that most adults failed to recognized, because of social phenomenon reasons that is suggested for further exploration. For example, does violence exist within the

2

home? Or simply, parents, guardians and older family members within the household not realizing or recognizing the concept of violence. Media violence such as violent video games has influence society in two different ways, short and long-term affects. The aim is to teach children through observation how to react in similar aggressive and-or violent ways as in real-life events, similarity to military type training in warfare. Therefore, demonstrating to children by cultivating their mindset that can influence their cognitive process, which affects values and belief systems that instill aggressive and violent behavior as sociable accepted practices. Potentially, this can result into the desensitization towards violence, which displays less empathy and hostile aggression within their social environment. Furthermore, developing anti-social behavior amongst peers. For example, the situation with Klebold and Harris both boys were disassociated from their peers, but were influence by media violence, which played as one of the roles models that influenced their behavior. Therefore, media violence not only affects normal children, but also, children that may be experiencing behavior disorders. Furthermore, within the environment social peers, parents and other outside influences also attribute to the influx of aggressive behavior; therefore, media violence becomes more of a reinforcement model. Children exposed to media violence such as violent video games is similar while witnessing a crime; children would learn through careful observation that both aggressive and violent behavior does work, however, potentially providing monetary rewards. Therefore, depending upon the individual’s culture and social environment would vary in the adaptation of criminal behavior. Potentially, excessive exposure to violent video games can affect children, as well as, adolescents that can potentially affect early adulthood because media violence is an additional role model within the home. Short and long-term affects of media violence such as violent video games consist of three cognitive structures: 1. Schemas, which instills a belief system in children that the world is a violent place. 2. Scriptive role, this is what influences both attitude and social behavior, by mirroring media violence with real life events. 3. Normative, which is a belief system that creates the individual perspective of their environment; for example, aggressive and violent behavior is acceptable within their environment. Violent video games displays acts of aggression acts, such as, violent and aggressive behavior to either its opponent or victim. Children observed such action, but it becomes inhibited within children cognition, which affects values and beliefs system; for example, children forming thoughts, schemas, attitudes, which affects social behavior and the concept that the worlds is a violent place. As a result, cultivating the minds of children that aggressive attitudes and social behavior is acceptable; especially, while it displays within a comedy whether it is either children and-or adult programming. In addition, reinforcing the concept of such aggressive and violent actions is socially accepted within the environment. Therefore, such actions affect children development by instilling the concept that the world around them is a violent place. Also, reinforcing the schematic concept of implying what was observed reflect their environment, which

3

affects both the cognitions and critical thinking skills, which display aggressive and-or violent behavior. Furthermore, some earlier researchers earlier studies relating children aggression with media violence never mentioned any of their samples had any prior diagnosis with behavior disorders. Therefore, creating a gap in literature, because children with behavior disorders react to violence differently than normal children. Then quite the contrary, any excessive violent exposure to children is not healthy.

References: Anderson, C.A., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E., Huesmann, R.L., Johnson, J.D., Linz, D., Malmuth, N.M., Wartella, E., (2003). The influence of Media Violence in Youth. Psychological Science, 4 (3), 81-110. Anderson, C.A. & Dill, K.E. (2000). Video Games and Aggressive Thoughts, Feelings, and Behavior in the Laboratory and in Life. A Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 772-790. Bandura, Albert (2001). Social Cognitive Theory: An Agentic. Journal on Psychology Annual Review, Vol. 52:1-26 Bartol, Curt R. (2002). Criminal Behavior-A Psychological Approach (6th Ed.). Prentice-Hall; Upper Saddle River, NJ Brady, S. (2005). Impact of Violence Exposure on Hostility, Physiological Arousal, and Health in Youth (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, 2005). Dissertation Abstract International, (UMI No. 3192932). Cervone, D. (2005). Personality Architecture: Within-Person Structures and Processes. Journal on Psychology, 56, 423-452. Champion, H.L., Durant. R.H. (2001). Exposure to violence and victimization and the use of violence by adolescents in the United States. Minerva Pediatrics, 53, 189-197. Chory-Assad, R.M. (2004). Effects of television sitcom exposure on the accessibility of verbally aggressive thoughts. Western Journal of Communications. 68, 431-454. Greene, K. & Krcmar, M. (2005). Predicting Exposure to and Liking of Media Violence: A uses and Gratification Approach. Communication Studies, 56, 71-93. Huesmann, R.L., Moise-Titus, J., Podalski, C.L., Eron, L.D. (2003). Longitudinal Relations between Children's Exposure to TV Violence and Their Aggressive and Violent Behavior in Young Adulthood: 1977-1992, 39(2), 201-221.

4

Funk, J.B., Baldacci, H.B., Paswold, T., Baumgardner, J. (2004). Violent exposure to real life, videogames, television, movies and the internet: Is there desensitization? 27, 23-39 Greene, K. & Krcmar, M. (2005). Predicting Exposure to and Liking of Media Violence: A uses and Gratification Approach. Communication Studies, 56, 71-93. Huesmann, R.L., Moise-Titus, J., Podalski, C.L., Eron, L.D. (2003). Longitudinal Relations between Children's Exposure to TV Violence and Their Aggressive and Violent Behavior in Young Adulthood: 1977-1992, 39(2), 201-221. Watson, W.W., Fischer, K.W., Andreas, J.B., Smith, K.W. (2001). Pathways to aggression in children and adolescents. Harvard educational review, 74, 404-431. Weber, R., Ritterfeld, U., Mathiak, K. (2006). Does playing violent video games induce aggression? Empirical evidence of a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Media psychology, 8, 39-60.

5