Outline
The paper is divided into the following parts:
- Introduction
- Media effects on children behavior
- Conclusion
- List of references
Consensus of the effects of the violence in the media
Violence is a complex thing and there is no single thing that can define its cause. Several factors are said to contribute to violence and include poverty, availability of guns, abuse of substances, physiological factors, and poor self-esteem. Violence is usually a learnt behavior. The meaning of this is that a child brought up in violent home is likely to be a violent adult. Various researches have been carried out with an aim of determining whether there is a relationship between the media show of violence with violence itself. The media is composed of many sources by the main ones are television movies and computer games (Stoff, 1997).
Most children who spend much time in watching violent movies are likely to exhibit violent behavior immediately after having an exposure of the same. The violence is extended into the adult life, visual media is inclusive even computer games that promote violence. If a child learns that the way to get something he wants is through violence, he may end up being involved in violence (Rathus, 2011). The way violence is portrayed in the media has an effect on the views of the children, sometimes the people who are involved in these violent behaviors are portrayed as heroes in their establishment. Such an impression gives students the urge to involve themselves in violence and violent behaviors. Seeing the perpetrator of violence going unpunished also increases the chance of a child behaving aggressively. Children may even not view death as a problem as some of the video games shows instances of heroes who die and come back to fight again (Chandler, 2004). In the following ways, the media contributes to acts of violence.
For one, children are very good observers, they are able to see what is happening in their day activities. The media is able to model aggressive skills as well as provision of aggressive scripts. They get information on how to behave in various situations as they see it portrayed in the media. The media also increases of arousal, the media shows increase emotional arousal to children that makes them aggressive in nature. The media also acts as a trigger of aggressive ideas and ultimately causing violence. Visualization of violence sometimes triggers the mind to involve them in aggressive behavior. Instances of habitation are also likely to occur due to the presences of the media violence scripts. The meaning of this is that the media at times repeal the stimuli of the children. In turn, repealed exposure to the TV violence may result to a decrease in the viewers’ sensitivity to real violence. If children perceive acts of violence as a norm, they may become tolerant of it and it may be hard to restrain from it (Gentile, 2003).
According to Gentile (2003), because people are not always violent, then committing of violence is not necessary brought out by the media portray of violence. An example is given where one rolls a rock on a hill, the fact that the rock rolled is not because of the push but because of the existence of a hill that facilitated the rolling. The meaning of this is that for one to commit a violent behavior the desire to do it has to be in you not because the media said so. Aggression behavior can be said to be multi casual and that media act as a catalyst to it. The media is neither necessary nor sufficient in most cases. By this I mean, the media is not the only cause of violence but one of the causes (Siegel, 2008).
References
Alters S, W. S. ( 2010). Essential Concepts for Healthy Living. Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Chandler, D. (2004, December 12). Television Violence and Children’s Behaviour. Retrieved April 6, 2011, from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/TF33120/tv- violence_and_kids.html
Gentile, D. A. (2003). Media violence and children: a complete guide for parents and professionals. Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group .
Rathus, S. A. (2011). Psych (with Review Cards and Printed Access Card). Califonia: Cengage Learning .
Siegel, L. J. (2008). Criminology. Califonia: Cengage Learning .
Stoff D M., J. B. (1997). Handbook of antisocial behavior. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons
Use the order calculator below and get started! Contact our live support team for any assistance or inquiry.
[order_calculator]