The Effects of Television Violence

What is violence? Do you think that children who watch violence on television will show violent behavior? What about the terrible tragedies in which kids  kill other kids, why? Many studies have been done to answer the question of television violence and its effects on children.
Studies have been done by scientists, pediatricians, and child researchers in many countries over the last thirty years. These studies have tried to find out what it is about television violence that makes it such a big influence on the way kids act and behave.
Television violence causes aggressive behavior in children
A shocking study by television researchers Bandura and Ross was done to get at the truth about the effects of television violence on children. They split a group of kids into Groups A and B. Next, they showed Group A a videotape of a child acting very aggressively with a doll. For example, the girl in the video hit and kicked the doll. The children in  Group B were shown a tape in which the same girl was having a tea party with the same doll. Later in the experiment, they put the Group A kids in a room alone with an exact copy of the doll used in the video. Children in Group A responded by hitting and kicking the doll and acted aggressively. The children in Group B were also put in a room alone with the doll and they played very nicely with it. There are similar studies that show how violence on television increases the likelihood that children who watch will demonstrate aggressive behavior towards others. Children imitate what they see on television.
47% of violent television programs show the victim going unharmed, especially in cartoons.
The person in the cartoon or television show gets bowled over by another character and they get back up without being harmed.  Children begin to believe that violence doesn’t really hurt others.
73% of individuals who commit crimes in cartoons and children's shows go unpunished in violent scenes
Television shows that allow the character who commits the crime to receive no punishment, teaches children that it is alright to commit a crime because nothing will be done. Criminals and violent acts do not get punished.
Violence is a good way to solve problems
Television is a powerful teacher and if children are always viewing their favorite characters using violence or aggression to get what they want, children will do the same.
Television creates heroes out of the people who commit the crimes
Kids feel that if they copy the criminal they will be a hero, too. The hero that commits the crime is glamorized. There is nothing heroic about violence and it is wrong to show kids that it is. Children begin to think of criminals as powerful role models.
Television reduces the value of life
If Wiley Coyote gets killed, the other cartoon characters don’t care, and they may even laugh. TV makes violence and even death seem funny and unreal. Children do not learn to respect life because violent television desensitizes them.
Children cannot tell the difference between real and unreal
Television is make-believe. The people in the stories are make-believe. They are actors and the story is not true. Young children are unable to realize that when a character attacks someone it is not real and should not be imitated. Think about it, many young children still believe in the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus.  How can children tell the difference between real violence and the make-believe violence done with a script for television?

Violence on TV

Television violence affects children, so how can we work to keep our kids safe? Where do you draw the line?
Today's television is more violent and explicit then the television of twenty or thirty years ago. At any time, a child can turn on the t.v. and witness violence, explicit language and scenes that are sometimes far more than suggestive. These shows are seen on cable, regular television, news and cartoons. Public television is one of the safe places a child can turn to and see positive educational programs.
So what has happened to television? To compete with increasing number of cable programs and decreased costs of subscribing to cable and renting movies, television programming has had to utilize more of what it feels adults want to see: violence, nudity and sexual situations. Ratings have been issued and program locks are offered with cable subscriptions. But is this enough to protect our children?
Researchers believe that television is contributing to the delinquency of today's American children. Children in the United States watch an average of 3 - 5 hours of television daily. It can be a powerful influence on children in shaping their behavior and development. Early days of watching preschool shows assisted children with learning, but shows they watch in primetime cable and on regular television can have a negative influence.
Studies have shown that too much television may cause children to become immune or numb to the horror of violence. After seeing characters kill and hurt, children may not be able to differentiate the real life violence of murder versus the onscreen make believe violence. Children may also interpret that violence is a way to solve problems, imitating what they see on shows. Children on the playground are quick to make believe they are their favorite superhero fighting the bad guys. Too often children get hurt or hurt others not realizing the severe consequences of what they see on television as it happens in real life.
Children who can identify with a specific character as a victim, often feel angry that someone like them has gotten hurt. Excessive viewing of television violence can lead all children to become more aggressive. The impact of television violence may not surface until children are in their teens or later, and studies show that irregardless of race, religion and socioeconomic development, all children are affected by this violence.
News channels can be more detrimental to children than other television shows. When children are able to realize that the news is about real people and events, the violence can be more frightening. Today's news can be accessed almost anywhere. It becomes hard to escape major events with the news crews covering them as they unfold with such depth that it causes adults to cringe. The effect on young children could be staggering.
How can we help children sort through the news and the violence? Once sure thing is to limit the time they watch television. Let them become absorbed in other activities such as reading, playing and being outside. Help them find a hobby and see what community events they can become involved with. When they do watch television, make sure you know what they are watching and if you feel something is not appropriate, don't let them watch or watch with them and make sure you take the time to answer their questions and explain what may upset them.
When your child does watch something that is violent and it has clearly upset them, it is important to help them through that. Make sure you have them realize that something that is real is permanent, while what happens to the actors of a show is not. Talking to your child is the key to resolving their fears and concerns.
We cannot control everything that our children see and are exposed to. If we start at home and work with our children to regulate the television, we are taking the first step in helping them. Being involved with our children at every age is vital to their development and maturity. Young children need as much guidance as older children, just with a different focus. Love and knowledge can take our children far. Television used to open doors to our minds and it still can when viewed responsibly and sensibly. Don't eliminate all of television, just eliminate the violence and the explicit. Watch the television and watch your children. Together you will open all the possible doors.

TV Violence and its effect on children

TV Violence

You may think that those funny sitcoms or violent dramas are just entertainment and shouldn’t really have serious effects. For any single show that’s probably correct, but for too many people, we’re not talking about a singleshow every so often, and it is a problem.
Child psychologist, Dr. Debra Kowalski, explains, "With children having so much exposure to the media, the messages that come across… are very important and they shape how a child sees the world and what a child sees as important. …A lot of the messages related to violence  can negatively impact a child."
The repetition of violence causes children to become desensitized. The same thing happens to adults, but children are more vulnerable. It can also significantly disturb a child and interact with their sleeping and other behaviors. It can also affect the way they interact socially with peers, as well as foster anxiety and fear in other situations.
Michael Suman, coordinator of The Center for Communications Policy at the University of California at Los Angeles, is doing a three year analysis of the effects of violence on television. He makes the following observations:
"Violence on television, basically, has three types of negative effects on people."
INCREASES VIOLENCE. “…Many studies show that violence on TV actually leads to aggressive, violent behaviors in the world, most prominently through imitation. They see people being violent on TV and they copy them as models. They imitate them.”
DESENSITIZATION AND CALLOUSNESS. "People become desensitized. This includes being callous towards people who’ve been victims of violence." (Ted Baehr, movie and television specialist and publisher of the Christian “Movie Guide”, comments, “We say ‘it’s ok, we’ve seen it on television. That behavior is fine.’ We no longer object to behavior [and language] that a few years ago we would have been insulted by… We’ve become very desensitized, and it’s corrupting.”)
FEAR. "It makes them more fearful." Children may have the false notion that violence or abuse is around every corner and that there is no good in this world. While this may be partly true, it is misleading and can cause much damage during the developmental stages of life.

Children And TV Violence

American children watch an average of four hours of television daily.  Television can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior.  Unfortunately, much of today's television programming is violent.  Hundreds of studies of the effects of TV violence on children and teenagers have found that children may:
become "immune" or numb to the horror of violence
gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems
imitate the violence they observe on television; and
identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers
Extensive viewing of television violence by children causes greater aggressiveness.  Sometimes, watching a single violent program can increase aggressiveness.  Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see.  Children with emotional, behavioral, learning or impulse control problems may be more easily influenced by TV violence. The impact of TV violence may be immediately evident in the child's behavior or may surface years later. Young people can even be affected when the family atmosphere shows no tendency toward violence.
While TV violence is not the only cause of aggressive or violent behavior, it is clearly a significant factor. Parents can protect children from excessive TV violence in the following ways:
pay attention to the programs their children are watching and watch some with them
set limits on the amount of time they spend with the television; consider removing the TV set from the child's bedroom
point out that although the actor has not actually been hurt or killed, such violence in real life results in pain or death
refuse to let the children see shows known to be violent, and change the channel or turn off the TV set when offensive material comes on, with an explanation of what is wrong with the program
disapprove of the violent episodes in front of the children, stressing the belief that such behavior is not the best way to resolve a problem
to offset peer pressure among friends and classmates, contact other parents and agree to enforce similar rules about the length of time and type of program the children may watch
Parents can also use these measures to prevent harmful effects from television in other areas such as racial or other stereotyping.  The amount of time children watch TV, regardless of content, should be moderated because it decreases time spent on more beneficial activities such as reading, playing with friends, and developing hobbies.  If parents have serious difficulties setting limits, or have ongoing concerns about their child's behavior, they should contact a child and adolescent psychiatrist for consultation and assistance.

Ukraine unrest: Protesters blockade government sites

EUROPE

2 December 2013 Last updated at 13:01 GMT

Demonstrators are blockading government buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, as they step up their campaign for the resignation of the government.

Protesters have put up barricades on Independence Square, while others are entrenched inside city hall.

The unrest was triggered in November by President Viktor Yanukovych's refusal to sign a deal on closer EU ties.

Opposition leaders have renewed demands that he stand down, and urged him to "stop political repression".

The call was issued on Monday at a meeting in Parliament convened by Speaker Volodymyr Rybak, the Ukrainska Pravda news website reported.

The opposition leaders refused to speak to Mr Rybak directly, the site added.

They also demanded the release of the jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko - who has been convicted of abuse of power.

On Sunday Mr Rybak had said President Yanukovych was "on the side of the people who are fully entitled to assemble for peaceful demonstrations and to express their views".

Overnight hundreds of people put up tents on Independence Square, amid calls for a general strike.

The headquarters of the cabinet has been blockaded, with government employees unable to reach work.

Police reinforcements are being sent to Kiev, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

As thousands of protesters converged on Independence Square on Monday they chanted slogans including "Out with the gang!"

On Sunday, several hundred thousand people took part in a march, defying a ban on rallies.

There were clashes near the presidential building, with demonstrators firing flares and riot police using tear gas, batons and stun grenades. TV footage appeared to show officers beating reporters.

The main opposition leaders condemned the violence, saying it was the work of "provocateurs". There were also clashes on Sunday as Kiev protesters tried to topple a statue of Lenin.

Some protesters stormed the city hall. One of them is the Russian opposition activist Pyotr Verzilov - husband of Pussy Riot punk group member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, who is in jail in Russia.

He told the BBC that the protesters were preparing to fight any attempt by police to evict them.

Also on Sunday, activists invaded Trade Unions House, another government building in central Kiev, and set up their main headquarters there.

The leader of the opposition Fatherland party, Arseny Yatsenyuk, said a no-confidence motion had been submitted to parliament.

Another opposition leader, current WBC boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, urged supporters not to give up control of central Kiev.

"We must mobilise everyone across the country and not lose the initiative," he said.

Protests started more than a week ago after President Yanukovych suspended preparations for signing an EU association agreement that would have opened borders to goods and set the stage for an easing of travel restrictions.

The deal was to be the centrepiece of a EU meeting in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius last week.

President Yanukovych defended his refusal to sign by saying the EU was not offering adequate financial aid to upgrade Ukraine's economy.

He also argued that Ukraine could not afford to sacrifice trade with Russia, which opposed the agreement.

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