• By the time a child is eighteen years old, he or she will witness on television (with average viewing time) 200,000 acts of violence including 40,000 murders (Huston, et al, 1992).
• Children, ages 8 to 18, spend more time (44.5 hours per week- 61/2 hours daily) in front of computer, television, and game screens than any other activity in their lives except sleeping (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005).
• Since the 1950s, more than 1,000 studies have been done on the effects of violence in television and movies. The majority of these studies conclude that: children who watch significant amounts of television and movie violence are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior, attitudes and values (Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 1999).
• Media violence affects children's behavior states the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, and American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (Congressional Public Health Summit, 2000).
• Children are affected at any age, but young children are most vulnerable to the effects of media violence (Bushman, 2001). Young children
  • are more easily impressionable.
  • have a harder time distinguishing between fantasy and reality.
  • cannot easily discern motives for violence.
  • learn by observing and imitating.
• Young children who see media violence have a greater chance of exhibiting violent and aggressive behavior later in life, than children who have not seen violent media (Congressional Public Health Summit, 2000).
• Violent video games can cause people to have more aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; and decrease empathetic, helpful behaviors with peers (Anderson, 2004; Gentile, 2003).
• Children who watch more TV and play more video games are not only exposed to more media violence, but are more likely to act more aggressively with peers and tend to assume the worst in their interactions with peers (Buchanan, et al, 2002).
• Violence (homicide, suicide, and trauma) is a leading cause of death for children, adolescents and young adults, more prevalent than disease, cancer or congenital disorders (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2001).

Six prominent medical groups (American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, American Psychological Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Psychiatric Association) warn of these effects of media violence on children:

• Children will increase anti-social and aggressive behavior.
• Children may become less sensitive to violence and those who suffer from violence.
• Children may view the world as violent and mean, becoming more fearful of being a victim of violence.
• Children will desire to see more violence in entertainment and real life.
• Children will view violence as an acceptable way to settle conflicts.
  (Congressional Public Health Summit, 2000)

• What are the consequences for aggressive behavior? Is it rewarded or punished? Aggressive behavior on screen that lacks consequences, portrayed as justified, or is rewarded will have a greater effect on children.
• When the violence is committed by an attractive or charismatic hero, with whom the child identifies, the effect of that violence will be greater.
• When the child's attention is focused on the violence on the screen, causing the child to be engaged or aroused, the impact is greater.
• If the child sees the violence in the show as being realistic, reflecting real life, the impact will be greater.

• American Academy of Pediatrics (2001, November). Media violence. Pediatrics, 108, 1222-1226.
• American Academy of Pediatrics. Some things you should know about media violence and media literacy. Accessed at: www.aap.org/advocacy/childhealthmonth/media.htm (last visited 11/06)
• Anderson, C.A. (2004). An update on the effects of violent video games. Journal of Adolescence 27, 113-122.
• Anderson, Craig A. and Bushman, Brad J. (2001, September). Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: A meta-analytic review of the scientific literature. Psychological Science, 12, 353.
• Buchanan, A.M., Gentile, D.A., Nelson, D.A.,Walsh, D.A., Hensel, J. (2002, August). What goes in must come out: Children's media violence consumption at home and aggressive behaviors at school. Paper presented at the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development Conference, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Available online at: www.mediafamily.org/research/report_issbd_2002.shtml (last visited 11/06).
• Bushman, B. J., & Huesmann, L. R. (2001). Effects of televised violence on aggression. In D. G. Singer & J. L. Singer (Eds.), Handbook of children and the media (Ch. 11, pp. 223-254). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Comstock, G.A. and Paik, H. (1994). The effects of television violence on antisocial behavior: A meta-analysis. Communication Research, 21, 516-546.
• Congressional Public Health Summit (2000, July 26). Joint statement on the impact of entertainment violence on children. Accessed at: www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/jstmtevc.htm (last visited 11/06)
• Gentile, D. A. & Anderson, C. A. (2003). Violent video games: The newest media violence hazard. In D. A. Gentile (Ed.), Media violence and children. (p131-152). Westport, CT: Praeger Publishing.
• Huesmann, Rowell (2001, November 5). The psychology of media violence: Why it has a lasting impact on children. Iowa State University: The impact of entertainment media and violence on children and families. Accessed at: www.extension.iastate.edu/families/media/program.huesmann.html (last visited 2/12/02)
• Huston, A.C. et al (1992). Big world, small screen: The role of television in American society. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.
• Kaiser Family Foundation (2005, March). Generation M: Media in the lives of eight to eighteen year olds. Available online at: http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia030905pkg.cfm (last visited 10/2006).
• Senate Committee on the Judiciary (1999, September 14). Children, violence, and the media: A report for parents and policy makers. Available at: http://judiciary.senate.gov/mediavio.htm (last visited 2/20/02).

Last revised: 11/06