Television Violence: the Negative Effect on Children and Its Prevention
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Abstract
The article analyses prevalence of television violence and its effect on children, theories of the effect and the existing research results, types of impact, factors of the influence and suggestible features of children.
There are many research data on the effect of television violence on human aggression. However, scientific debates still go on and it is not clear enough, what the influence of viewing television violence on juvenile violent crimes is. Taking into consideration different opinions, research data and their analysis the author concludes that viewing television violence has influence on children. The influence can show itself in more violent behaviour, including violent crime. It is logical that the observation of social environment (its part or even its reflection) effects members of society, which cannot be societal beings if they are irresponsive to the social environment and its effect.
The author divides crime prevention measures by the factors influencing the effect. The article deals with prevention measures targeted on the type, form and content of a program, on viewing time, on personal characteristics of a child and his social environment. The author compares the experience of prevention, standards of journalistic ethics and law norms in Lithuania and foreign countries.
At the end of the article, the author concludes that:
1) the prevention of the negative effect of television violence on children must be „soft“ and educative;
2) the repressive character of preventive measures must be applied to the media at the minimum because:
television business is global;
- violence is a matter of evaluation („violence is rough compulsion“);
- the negative effect of television violence on children is important, but not very profound;
- the freedom of information and expression is one of fundamental human rights and values
of a democratic society;
3) it is important to find ways of striking a balance between media autonomy and direct intervention;
4) the standards of journalistic ethics and the law and the institutional system enable effective solution of prevention problems and problems related to control of prevalence of television violence in Lithuania. The measures of impact of contravention of the norms are sufficient and may be effective if their practical use is more active;
5) it is necessary to enlarge a society’s knowledge of the risk of the effect of television violence on children, of preventive measures, of society’s opportunities to participate in the prevention and of the existing norms of law. It is extremely important for parents, teachers and media to participate in prevention.
There are many research data on the effect of television violence on human aggression. However, scientific debates still go on and it is not clear enough, what the influence of viewing television violence on juvenile violent crimes is. Taking into consideration different opinions, research data and their analysis the author concludes that viewing television violence has influence on children. The influence can show itself in more violent behaviour, including violent crime. It is logical that the observation of social environment (its part or even its reflection) effects members of society, which cannot be societal beings if they are irresponsive to the social environment and its effect.
The author divides crime prevention measures by the factors influencing the effect. The article deals with prevention measures targeted on the type, form and content of a program, on viewing time, on personal characteristics of a child and his social environment. The author compares the experience of prevention, standards of journalistic ethics and law norms in Lithuania and foreign countries.
At the end of the article, the author concludes that:
1) the prevention of the negative effect of television violence on children must be „soft“ and educative;
2) the repressive character of preventive measures must be applied to the media at the minimum because:
television business is global;
- violence is a matter of evaluation („violence is rough compulsion“);
- the negative effect of television violence on children is important, but not very profound;
- the freedom of information and expression is one of fundamental human rights and values
of a democratic society;
3) it is important to find ways of striking a balance between media autonomy and direct intervention;
4) the standards of journalistic ethics and the law and the institutional system enable effective solution of prevention problems and problems related to control of prevalence of television violence in Lithuania. The measures of impact of contravention of the norms are sufficient and may be effective if their practical use is more active;
5) it is necessary to enlarge a society’s knowledge of the risk of the effect of television violence on children, of preventive measures, of society’s opportunities to participate in the prevention and of the existing norms of law. It is extremely important for parents, teachers and media to participate in prevention.
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Authors retain copyright of their work, with first publication rights granted to the Association for Learning Technology.
Please see Copyright and Licence Agreement for further details.
