Dr. Paul Boxer and his colleagues surveyed 820 teens, parents and teachers. Half of the teens were juvenile offenders in detention centers. Participants reported about their favorite TV shows, movies and video games starting at age seven. Those who preferred the more violent fares were more likely to engage in violent behaviors as teenagers.
The researchers took into consideration other factors such as academic failures, emotional problems, and exposure to real-life violence when they calculated their results.
"Even in conjunction with other factors, our research shows that media violence does enhance violent behavior," Dr. Boxer said. "On average, adolescents who were not exposed to violent media are not as prone to violent behavior. There can be very little doubt that exposure to violence in the media has a consistent and substantial impact on aggressive behaviors."
This study appeared in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
Labels: violence, behavioral_issues, influences
Posted By: Aspen Education Group