Animals, Youth, Violence, and The Media
America has seen a dramatic increase in school violence in the past three years. Arkansas, Oregon, and Colorado have whitnessed some of the worst school violence in the history of our country. Why? What are the common factors shared by many or our youth today? What do they have that generations before them didn't have? One factor is violent video games and an increase in violence in television. Could these cause a child to grow up more violent? Could playing these violent games and watching violence on television desensitize our youth to violence.
According to Frank L. Hoffman, School Violence and Killing, All Creatures Org. Link, "I believe the answere lies in the over-all acceptance of violence in our society. If our television, and movies, and video games didn't depict so much violence as being just a part of life, Kip Kinkel's behavioral problems would have stood out all more glaringly. We have sanitized violence so much in our society that we seem no longer able to recognize or separate a real problem from the status quo." Hoffman also states, "Playing with violence is instructions on how to kill."
The APA, states that research has shown that violent or aggressive behavior is often learned early in life. Some of the warning signs they included in their list for school age children and preeteen or teenage adlolescents were:
School Age
Watches many violent TV shows. Plays a lot of violent video games. Has few friends and is often rejected by others because of his or her behavior. Makes friends with other aggressive children. Consistently ignores adults. Is cruel or violent towards pets or animals.
Preteen and Teen
Consistently does not listen to authority figures. Pays no attention to the feelings or rights of others. Gets involved in fighting, stealing, or destroying property.
Among the many solutions recommended by the APA to curtail this behavior are the following:
Make sure your kids do not have access to guns. Teach children about the dangers of firearms. If you choose to keep a gun in your house, unload it and lock it up seperately from the ammunition. Do not assume that your child will not be able to find a gun. Hide it well and lock it up securely. Shelter your children from seeing violence in your home and community. Limit your child's access to TV to avoid seeing too much violence on TV.
For a more detailed list access the APA link.
In another article, Media Violence: Confronting the Issues and Taking Action, by Gloria DeGaetano , she mentioned the following studies:
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