1 Dec 2008

Most parents expect a four year old to be very active and zealous, but never violent. However, some children exhibit violent behavior, such as running around the playground kicking, karate chopping and biting other children. The following example is based on personal experience.

In 1997 this was the case with a family in Georgia who had a son with these behavioral problems. The parents took their child to counseling in order to figure out what the problem was. After a brief counseling session, those parents were perplexed and angry. It was difficult for them to believe that a counselor would blame them or suggest putting their child on drugs. After counseling, the father and child watched the children’s program “The Power Rangers” together, and when the program finished, the child started to chase, kick, karate chop and bite his father. The father felt that he was to blame for not thinking about the consequences of his child watching a program that contained violence. Concerned parents believe that the violence on television causes children to express violent behavior, but they also need to ask themselves “what can I do to prevent this”. Violence on television is a major determining factor in a child’s behavior, this behavior also stems from the parents’ lack of responsibility.

Scientific studies have demonstrated that television and violence are linked, but television also has its positive uses. Ron Kaufman, creator of TurnOffYourTV.com argues that “…TV is violent! Guns, Shootings, murders, hitting, punching, slapping, screaming, kicking, stabbing, explosions, car chases, car smashes, disasters, and death are shown daily throughout TV programming” (Kaufman 693). It would seem that television programming is all about violence, which sells most in society today. Shows like CSI, The Shield, Nip Tuck as well as some cartoons promote drugs, sex and violence as a norm in a daily life. According to the Kaiser Foundation report “…81 percent of parents have seen their children imitate either positive or aggressive behaviors from TV” (Kaufman 699). A council created by the University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of Texas at Austin, which included medical organizations, conducted the National Television Violence Study (NTVS). The NTVS found that “…violence often was portrayed in the contextual manner that earlier research suggested would increase the likelihood of negative effects on viewers, especially children” (Shifrin 1). The positive uses of television are that it can teach children with shows like “Sesame Street”, where they can learn the alphabet and new words. Children also benefit from watching programs about different cultures, music and art. Television is also a way to allow families to spend time together and have something to talk about. Although, television is a negative influence on children it can also be a positive one.

Because of the negative psychological impact that violence in television can have on children, many parents turn to medical solutions. Since the medical solution is always the easiest solution many fail to see alternatives. As an example, the parents discussed earlier visited a counselor for their child; the counselor began with the basic questioning. After fifteen minutes the counselor determined that the child had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which is what was leading to his aggressive behavior. According to the National Institute of Mental Health “…the principal characteristics of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. These symptoms appear early in a child’s life” (Biederman 526-533). The first thing that the counselor suggested was for the parents to put their child on Ritalin, also known as Methylphenidate. Methylphenidate is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that increases the ability to focus on tasks and has been known to calm children down. The father of the child assumed that the affects of Ritalin would benefit some children, but felt that the counselor was taking the easy way out and jumping the gun with only a fifteen minute session. Needless to say the parents never attempted to get the medication; instead they visited another counselor with a more acceptable solution. The solution was to control how much television the child watched, prevent him from watching “The Power Rangers” on the television and use “Time Out” as a discipline. After a few months the child’s behavior improved, all he needed was proactive parents who cared. Although medical solutions can be helpful, families should look for less drastic measures. These measures should be considered prior to making a final decision on a treatment, especially for children.

Many adults blame the videogames, media or even the government for the violence on television and computers. Mothers and Fathers believe that the violence on television and videogames cause their child to express violent behavior, but seldom asks themselves what can they do to prevent this. It is the sole responsibility of parents to raise their children to be loving, obedient and productive members of society. Building a strong bond with children by spending quality time with them is a start to preventing violent behavior. According to Mr. Ron Kaufman “Only parental involvement, not the government, not a special computer chip, and certainly not the networks themselves will help the situation” (706). Parental involvement is the key; they should be watching and supervising what the children are watching on television. If parents are not there to tell the child what is right or wrong they can only blame themselves for the child’s behavior. Discipline is a must and should be consistent. Although many feel physical discipline is best, it should never be the solution. According to ACT Against Violence “…Children learn a great deal about the world when they are young and base their future cognitive, motor and emotional development by “mimicking” adults.” (Kaufman 699), so what do you think the child will learn when physical discipline is used? Television is a negative influence and parents can blame it all they want, but they are there to set the example. Parents need to teach their children that bad behaviors will result in negative consequences, and they should also offer the positive reinforcement of discipline and rules. And if parents really want their children to stop repeating the violent acts seen on television, they should take some responsibility, and turn off the television set more.

Works Cited

Biederman J, Faraone SV, Keenan K, Knee D, Tsuang MF. “Family-genetic and psychosocial risk factors in DSM-III attention deficit disorder”, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1990; 29(4): 526-533

Kaufman, Ron. "Filling Their Minds with Death: TB Violence and Children". Elements of Argument. Annette T. Rottenberg and Donna Haisty Winchell. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. 692-706.

Shifrin, Donald. American Academy of Pediatrics, AAP News, August 1998. 1 October, 2008. .