Question: Does media violence contribute to violent behavior and aggression in children?

Be sure to post the reason you have for answering the way that you did.

I don't think that we can lay the blame for agression in children on the laps of the media, that's all down to parenting, if a child only only learned one effective way to express itself then that's the one it's going to use but I do think the glorifying of violence has an effect, we know for a fact that the portrayal of Smoking as being cool in the media led to a major increase in tobacco sales so why shouldn't portraying violence as cool have the same effect.

It's all in the raising. Kids are so messed up nowadays because parents aren't good parents. I lucked out; I have wonderful parents. Many kids can't say that. There is an entire generation of spoiled kids who have never been punished out there, and they are going to be running the country one day. That's a scary thought.

think about it. video games to todays society is like rock and roll was to our parents generation...

they say we are better equiped with the fundamentals of war because of video games..........imagine, nintendo and PS under a governmental conspiracy to raise soilders

great... i guess that means im better prepared to initiate the omnislash with my gunblade... groovy

Violence is inate in nature and we are part of nature.

i wouldn't say it's the sole cause of violence in children, but i don't think it helps.

i am not for censorship at all though and think that parents should be responsible for what their child is exposed to. this said, there are parents that shelter their children and this can do more harm than good.

kids do like to copy what they see on tv. but possibly they might pick it up from elsewhere anyhow.

I see I am the only person who voted in the affirmative.
I do believe that violence in the media makes violence more acceptable in society.
I also think that violent video games are also partly responsible.

I live in the second most violent town in my part of England so I suppose I could be biased, but when you see an 8 year old child threatening adults with a knife, you cannot put it down to violence in nature.

True, it is partly the fault of the parents, I have seen that demonstrated in my own family, but it also depends on the child. Children are notoriously good at finding a way around things, especially teenagers. If they want to watch something, they will.

When I go to pick up children from school, I see boys playing 'Smackdown' in the playground. Children are hospitalised for concussion and broken bones due to recreating a fight they saw on WWF. Their minds are often not developed enough to understand that it is just play, and that it should only be practised by professionals.

News reports would hopefully show not only the violence but also its effects, teaching children that violence is wrong. They need to know what is happening around the world and the complete devastation caused by violence (not solely violence, but this is the point being discussed)

I do not think children should be exposed to violent media until they are old enough to understand its consequences etc. Violent programmes should be scheduled later in the evening, when children should be in bed, so that if an adult should wish to view it, they would not be exposing their child to a negative influence.

but when is "old enough"... i will admit the fact that seeing violence takes its shock value away (aka- desensitizes), but just because kids (and some adults) are dumbasses doesnt mean we should ban media violence...

would you rather i take out my aggression on real people? or pixelated? im thinking 9 times out of 10 (perhaps more) yer gonna say pixelated.

I agree, but I do think violent shows should be scheduled later in the evening.

A child should be at least 12 before they are allowed to see that stuff, but that is without taking into account the maturity, intelligence and temperament of the individual.

Its difficult, and each parent has to decide for their own children. Personally, I would not like my children watching what I consider to be 'crap' on tv, like chat shows, soaps, violent sport etc, but how would I be able to guarantee that they would not watch it behond my back?

At the very least violent shows should not be on childrens television channels.

like what? do they show wrestling on Nickelodeon now?

I dont watch it so I wouldnt know, but Trouble has ads for wrestling I think. I havent had sky for so long now, im not sure.

damn UK... dont know those stations...

its really naff..
and I know this is off topic, but what about music channels? some of the videos shown on there (Christina Aguilera, Tatu) are slightly pornographic, should children be allowed to watch those?

Children are really sucseptible to the media and whatever it portrays as "cool" and i think its fair to say that kids are effected by the amount of violence and adult material (as syblle pointed out) that is broadcasted on tv today. Look at the soaring amount of violent and Gang crimes commited by teenagers-isn't that telling society something... We're teaching childeren that violence and crime is acceptable and in 50 years time those kids will be running the world!!!

those kids won't be running the world, they will either be dead or locked away......so, fuck 'em, tomorrow's leaders are smarter than that......you will always have bad seeds, and if media does in anyway add to it, maybe all it really does is warn us of those potential.....maybe media is the key of sortement

the smart criminals are always the ones on top... politicians... ceos... etc.

Then explain why people managed to entertain themselves with violence long before the invention of modern media. People weren't less violent then. They weren't senstive at that time. People loved blood and gore more in the past than they do now it seems. In the past it wasn't acting, it was a real person getting slaughtered before their eyes. And don't think that young children didn't watch this.

Im not naive and im not denying that violence is a human instinct. Just read that I wrote: 'I do believe that violence in the media makes violence more acceptable in society.'

The idea that in this modern, supposedly more developed world we are of the same barbaric nature as those who went before us is controversial, but that is not the point we are discussing.

I said acceptable, because violence is not an acceptable quality in today's society, but I think that the media portrays it as such, undermining the work of anti-violence campaigners who are trying to make the world a safer place.