Media Violence and the Effects on Youth
Americans have grown increasingly alarmed about youth violence. There are far too many of our children killing and harming others. Many people question why this is happening. Sadly, despite decades of effort on a broad front in this country, we still can not answer this question with certainty. Some people point to the media for this problem; while others say it consists of many different problems.
It is hard to pin point one certain problem that turns our children violent. Children can have problems in their homes; where they are not getting enough attention or supervision. It could be they are watching too much violent shows and they copy what they see, but do not know it is wrong. There are many different issues where a child can turn violent. Kelleher (1998) states, “there are a variety of factors that make kids violent, which includes:
• A history of abuse in childhood
• Father figures may be absent, non-nurturing, or passive
• Mother may be dominant, overprotective, or seductive
• Violence is expressed in the home and throughout childhood
• Children experience a deep sense of abandonment and distrust
• Family environment is unstable and often in turmoil
According to Kelleher (1998) “before 1990, well over 80 percent of all murders were committed by adults-individuals over the age of eighteen (p. 3). However, that started to change dramatically in the mid 1980’s. The number of teenagers who committed murder began to rise, while the number of adults who murdered began to decline.
Now, in the new millennium, “the number of murderers under the age of eighteen represents approximately one-fifth of the total number of known killers in America” (Kelleher, 1998, p. 3). Currently, “there are six to seven juvenile homicides a day. The recently highly publicized school shootings represent a minor percentage of that total. The rate of violence against youth aged twelve to fifteen, has increased substantially since 1988” (Anderson et al., 2003).
Violence is a
It is hard to pin point one certain problem that turns our children violent. Children can have problems in their homes; where they are not getting enough attention or supervision. It could be they are watching too much violent shows and they copy what they see, but do not know it is wrong. There are many different issues where a child can turn violent. Kelleher (1998) states, “there are a variety of factors that make kids violent, which includes:
• A history of abuse in childhood
• Father figures may be absent, non-nurturing, or passive
• Mother may be dominant, overprotective, or seductive
• Violence is expressed in the home and throughout childhood
• Children experience a deep sense of abandonment and distrust
• Family environment is unstable and often in turmoil
According to Kelleher (1998) “before 1990, well over 80 percent of all murders were committed by adults-individuals over the age of eighteen (p. 3). However, that started to change dramatically in the mid 1980’s. The number of teenagers who committed murder began to rise, while the number of adults who murdered began to decline.
Now, in the new millennium, “the number of murderers under the age of eighteen represents approximately one-fifth of the total number of known killers in America” (Kelleher, 1998, p. 3). Currently, “there are six to seven juvenile homicides a day. The recently highly publicized school shootings represent a minor percentage of that total. The rate of violence against youth aged twelve to fifteen, has increased substantially since 1988” (Anderson et al., 2003).
Violence is a
References: Anderson, C.A., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E., Huesmann, L. R., Johnson, J., Linz, D., Malamuth, N.M., Wartella, E. (2003). The Influence of Media Violence on Youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4, 81-110. Retrieved June 9, 2008, from Academic Search Premier. Kelleher, Michael D. (1998). When Good Kids KILL. Praeger Publishers. Zimring, Franklin E. (1998). American Youth Violence. New York: Oxford University Press.