While infanticide or sex selective abortion in rural areas of the world may seem to have little to do with a famous musician who is a domestic abuser from the first world who avoids criminal punishment while being applauded and glamourized, the message going out to girls is consistent: they are not valued in the same way that boys are. In order to…

A commonly accepted belief is that the violence depicted in television programs, particularly cartoons, has a negative impact on young children's behavior. However, young children may be less inclined to emulate violent actions seen on television than currently thought. Research indicates that young children have limited comprehension of…

This article examines the play behavior of 70 preschool children and its relationship to television violence and regulatory status. Linear regression analysis showed that violent program content and poor self-regulation were independently and significantly associated with overall and physical aggression. Advanced maternal age and child age and…

Unrealistic as they may have been, television shows like Leave it to Beaver and Ozzie and Harriet served important social purposes during an age of tumult and anxiety. The domestic sit-coms of the 1950s played an educative function by reinforcing and disseminating traditional values at a time when forces of change were becoming quite disruptive.…

Discusses the continuing debate about the effects of televised violence on viewers, particularly children, in terms of aggressive behavior. The two opposing views, the psychologistic and the relational, are each supported by research which, in turn, affects the use of censorship. (JMF)

The rule of thumb for combating violence in school is to remove its antecedents whenever possible and train staff to handle aggressive behavior. School staff should be knowledgeable; join forces with community leaders, police, and parents; implement antigang curricula; treat each student respectfully; and make the school a safe haven. Sidebars…

Argues that television reflects the ideal of American family life in its programs, and that adverse behavior is correlated with amounts of time spent viewing rather than program content. Television can offer rich source material for the imagination, but parents need to actively guide children's viewing throughout their formative years. (MBR)

The United States leads the developed world in youth violence, with the highest homicide and suicide rates among young people. Exposure starts early. To reduce violence in U.S. schools, we must control handguns, abolish television violence, isolate violent students, and change the ways that juvenile offenders are punished. (MLH)

Children with diagnosed psychopathologies may experience aggravation of those illnesses with their exposure to media violence. Children with the most common, often undiagnosed, form of psychopathology--Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBDs)--manifested changes in heart rate, heart vagal heart tone and other psychophysiological reactions to media…

Describes and evaluates attempts to mitigate effect that watching television violence has on young children. Most relevant studies have been laboratory experiments, and there is no reported evidence that any intervention has been effective over long-term. Concludes that interventions combining cognitive and behavioral approaches have most promise,…

This book argues that it is time for Americans to rebuild their television system and that translating the public interest into a commitment to the nation's children will take time, education, and public debate. The book affirms that American adults need to consider what public interest means with respect to those who are too young to vote, who…

Many television viewers construct their social reality from media content as well as from sensory and interpersonally communicated information. One aspect of this media-influenced social reality is television viewers' estimates of crime in society, or their fear of criminal victimization. Several media-effects studies have demonstrated the…

American children spend an average of 6 hours and 32 minutes each day using various forms of media. Research has suggested that this high level of exposure has a negative impact on children's attitudes and behaviors. For example, media violence increases aggression in children, especially video games which allows children to be the aggressor and…

Describes a study conducted in Dutch primary schools to alter the cognitive effects that television violence can have on 10- to 12-year-olds by encouraging them to evaluate critically the portrayal of violence. Teacher and student attitudes are discussed, and the educational effects of the curriculum are considered. (Contains 20 references.) (LRW)

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting participated in the 1993 Yankelovich Youth Monitor in order to determine information about kids and television viewing in 1990s. The Youth Monitor is a study of 1,200 children ages 6-17 conducted with an in-home interview in randomly selected households throughout the United States. The study asks kids a…