Media Violence and Aggression: Recent Studies Link Exposure to Violence in the Media and Subsequent Aggression in Teenagers

What are the studies about?

After hundreds of studies and the conclusions of major Federal and private scientific organizations (1,2), most experts agree that there is a causal connection between exposure to violence in the media and subsequent violent behavior. Craig Anderson and Brad Bushman, psychologists studying in this area, wrote in a commentary that despite this overwhelming consensus, the press has not communicated the results to the public, but, rather, presents the issue as an unsettled scientific conclusion (3). With results from their own analytic review of close to 300 studies, they show how longitudinal, cross-sectional, field and experimental studies each contribute to an understanding of how exposure to violent media increases violent behavior.

The focus of their commentary was to review the results of the first published longitudinal study of violent media on adolescents by Johnson and colleagues (4). This study remains unique because it links exposures to violent media after childhood-i.e., among teenagers-and then follows them into young adulthood when aggressive behaviors actually take place. This study with its large sample size (707 families) and time span (17 years) allowed a meaningful test of television exposure on severe aggressive behaviors (such as assault and robbery) among these young adults. Also, they were able to control for key childhood factors that might otherwise be a cause of the aggression-e.g., childhood neglect, family income, neighborhood violence, parental education, and psychiatric disorders.

What are the findings?

Findings showed that among those who watched less than an hour of TV a day, 5.7 percent had committed a violent act that resulted in serious injury. Among those who watched one to three hours per day, 18.4 percent had been violent. Of those who watched more than three hours a day, the rate of aggression was 25.3 percent.

Research, published in 2000, found indications that exposure to violent video games also contributes to aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviors. . Craig Anderson and Karen Dill (4) found that playing video games like Doom, Wolfenstein 3D or Mortal Kombat can increase a person's aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior both in laboratory settings and in actual life. The scientists said that in one study they found that young men who are habitually aggressive became more so when exposed repeatedly to violent games. The other study revealed that even a brief exposure to violent video games can temporarily increase aggressive behavior in all types of participants."

How do these findings relate to ACT?

ACT provides practical approaches for parents to use to monitor and limit access of their children to violent media in all forms. These reviews and commentaries provide extensive support for protecting young children from violent media and keeping a close eye on children's use of media as they grow up.

For more information

View APA press release and journal article on video games http://www.apa.org/releases/videogames.html. Seek further information from the references below.

References

1. Surgeon General's Scientific Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behavior. Television and Growing Up: The Impact of Televised Violence. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1972.
2. Joint Statement of Entertainment Violence on Children: Congressional Public Health Summit (26 July 2000); www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/jstmteuc.htm.
3. Anderson, C.A., and Bushman, B.J. (2002). The effects of media violence on society. Science, 295, 2377-2378.
4. Johnson, J.G., et al. (2002). Television viewing and aggressive behavior during adolescence and adulthood. Science, 295, 2468-2471.
5. Anderson, C.A., and Dill, K.E. (2000). Video games and aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior in the laboratory and in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 772.