Growth Spurts

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Media exposure increases a child’s risk of aggressive behavior.

At What Cost?

method to get what you want without negative consequences, children are more likely to copy the behavior. More than 1,000 research reports over the last 25 years have concluded that media exposure increases the risk of aggressive behavior in children. ³

Some may argue that television simply reflects reality. Even though the world is violent, parents must question what part media has played in today’s culture. Why, even if it is reality, do viewers find it entertaining? Christians should set a higher standard. The Bible challenges that “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise – dwell on these things” (Philippians 4: 8).

examine tHe impact of tv violence on your cHilD.

By amy Ivey, Ph.d.

ACHILD bEING fORCIbLY kIDNAPPED ... a woman being threatened with a gun ... a decapitated head ... reading words expressing such violence is shocking and disturbing. These are shocking scenes for adults, nonetheless 6- to 8-year-olds. Yet these are scenes aired during afternoon hours — a popular time for children to watch television. Television has slowly and dangerously become more violent, and families have become immune.

The Problem

How bad is the problem of television violence? Consider that the

average child, who watches 28 hours of television a week, will view as many as 8,000 murders by the time he is 11 years old.¹ The Parents Television Council report “Dying to Entertain – Violence on Prime Time Broadcast Television – 1998-2006” indicates that the television season in the fall of 2005 showed a 75 percent increase in violence since 1998.² For some of the top shows children watched in 2007 see “Kids’ Prime Time Viewing” on page 15.

Regularly viewing violence can lead a child to be less sensitive to the suffering of others, fearful of his world, or aggressive. When television portrays violent acts as a

Protect Your Child

There are many ways to protect your child from TV violence.

• Limit your child’s viewing. Turn the TV off during meals and do not allow a TV in your child’s bedroom. Some parents control their children’s television viewing by only allowing a set amount of time per day or week or by limiting television viewing to the weekends.

TURN Off THE TELEvISION

• Have a family game night.

• Read together or go to the library.

• Go for a walk or bike ride.

• Play a game of basketball, soccer, or baseball.

• Visit family friends.

• Cook a fun dessert and then enjoy it as a family.

• Visit a local planetarium and enjoy the stars.

14 PARENTLIFE MARCH 2008