Jacob imitates violent actions from superhero cartoons and injures his brother. His parents are warned about the dangers of media violence influencing children's behavior. Studies show children who witness adult aggression imitate those actions, while protective parenting can mitigate negative effects. Kareem kicks a classmate at school and through a psychoeducational program with his mother, learns to change his behavior and become a mentor to others.

1. Media Violence (1 of 2)
Seven-year-old Jacob enjoys watching cartoons on TV every
morning before his parents wake up. Not only is he able to turn
on the TV without assistance, he is also able to operate the DVR
(digital video recorder) or play a DVD.
In an effort to curtail his unsupervised TV viewing, John’s
parents, Jerry and Jane, decide to buy him cartoons and movies.
Jacob particularly likes watching superhero cartoons, where the
protagonist fights criminals with bare hands in a cape. Jacob has
taken to imitating the superheroes he watches by tying a towel
around his neck and running around the house with his arms
raised. Jerry thinks Jacob’s actions are cute, and he has
recorded a video of Jacob “flying” around the house.
One day, while imitating his favorite superhero Jacob grabbed
his little brother, Jeff, threw him on the floor, sat on his chest,
and began strangling him. When Jeff began to cry loudly, Jane
rushed to see what was wrong. She was shocked to see Jacob
sitting on Jeff’s chest. She separated the two boys, but Jeff
would not stop crying and complained of pain in his chest. She
rushed him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a
broken rib. The doctor listened to what happened and suggested
to Jane that she and Jerry should talk to Jacob about the dangers
of imitating what he watches on TV.
Media Violence (2 of 2)
Early Studies on Child Imitation
In 1961, Albert Bandura performed an experiment using a large,
air-filled punching bag, which he nicknamed the ‘Bobo’ doll.

2. Children under five observed an adult hitting, punching,
kicking, and throwing Bobo violently around an empty room.
The adult was made to perform specific actions on the doll for
the benefit of the observing children. The experiment was
devised in such a manner because the children were not likely to
be familiar with these actions. For example, hammers and catch-
phrases, such as “Pow ... boom ... boom,” were used
deliberately.
After observing the adult’s interaction with Bobo, the children
were asked to play with the doll in the same room for about 20
minutes. Another group of children, the control group, played
with Bobo without having observed any adult interaction. Both
groups of children playing with the doll were observed by
psychologists. The results indicated that the children who had
witnessed adult aggression performed similar acts, whereas the
children belonging to the control group did not.
The results of Bandura’s series of experiments revealed to
parents that their children are impressionable and they tend to
imitate the behavior they observe. The more the observation is
reinforced, the more likely is the child to imitate the
observation.
As noted in the scenario and confirmed by Bandura’s Bobo
study, children can easily be influenced by actions they observe.
In a study of the effects of violence on TV, children were
questioned about the TV shows that they watched the most,
whether they identified with the aggressive characters, and
whether they thought the violent situations were realistic. The
results indicated that the viewing of violence in TV shows,
identifying with aggressive same-sex characters on TV, and
perceiving that violence on TV is realistic are all linked to a
display of increased aggression in both male and female
children (Huesmann, Moise-Titus, Podolski, & Eron, 2003).
Prevalence of Media Violence (1 of 2)

3. After learning how violence on TV is a proven dangerous
influence, Jane and Jerry resolve to systematically reduce their
sons’ opportunities to watch or observe gratuitous violence.
Jane took the first step by monitoring the boys’ collection of
videos to determine the extent of violence they observe each
day. Although all the videos had been purchased in the
children’s section, Jane was surprised at the extent of violence
she had accidentally exposed her sons to. The worst culprit was
a cartoon called Superhero. Despite being an animation series, it
showed maximum violence and aggression. Jane decided to
carefully reorganize her sons’ video library.
Prevalence of Media Violence (2 of 2)
After consolidating the video library, Jane became concerned
about other types of violence that might influence the boys. She
decided to research the subject on the Internet and was shocked
to discover the following information about the different types
of media violence:
Types of Media Violence
· TV:
· Statistics reveal that 99% percent of all American households
own at least 1 TV, and nearly 79% have 3 or more sets, 71% of
all children have TVs in their rooms, and by the age of 18, an
American child will have viewed over 16, 000 simulated
murders and observed over 200, 000 acts of violence (Rideout,
Foehr, & Roberts, 2010).
· Over 1, 000 studies on the effects of TV and film violence
have been performed over the last 30 years to determine if a
relationship between media violence and aggression exists. A
majority of the studies reach similar conclusion: violence
observed on TV and in movies leads to real-world violence
(Beresin, 2010).
· Music Lyrics:

4. · Current music lyrics have become increasingly explicit and
center on sex, drugs, and violence against women. An average
8-18 year old listens to approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes
of music per day (Rideout, Foehr, & Roberts, 2010).
· Studies have indicated that a preference for music such as rap
and heavy metal can result in more negative feelings toward
women, a distrustful attitude, and greater hostility (Anderson, et
al., 2003)
· Video Games:
· Sixty percent of children between the ages of 8 and 18 play
videogames daily, for an average of 1 hour and 13 minutes per
day. More than half had played violent games such as Grand
Theft Auto (Rideout, Foehr, & Roberts, 2010).
· Experts suggest a high pernicious effect, concluding that
violent actions performed in video games contribute to
children's aggression (Senate Committee on the Judiciary,
1999).
· Internet:
· Eighty-four percent of children ages 8 to 18 have internet
access at home, with 33% reporting internet access in their
bedrooms.
· The more a child perceives a videogame to be violent, the
more involved or “present” a child feels, and in turn the more
likely a videogame will be associated with aggression (Nowak,
Kremar, & Farrar, 2008).
Psychological Effects of Media Violence (1 of 2)
Emily was asked to attend a parent-teacher meeting with her
daughter Francesca’s 5th grade teacher, Ms. Schneider. During
the meeting, Emily learned that Ms. Schneider had noted
changes in Francesca’s behavior in school over the last couple
of months. These included receiving two detentions, hitting a
classmate during recess, and breaking the rules while in the
playground. On one occasion, when confronted about her

5. behavior, Francesca started to argue with her classmates to such
an extent that a teacher was required to intervene. This change
in behavior occurred concurrently with academic problems. Ms.
Schneider reported that Francesca, a former honor roll student,
had begun failing to complete her homework. The situation had
exacerbated to the extent that currently, she is not passing any
of her classes.
Emily was shocked when Ms. Schneider asked if anything had
changed for Francesca at home. She recalled that Francesca had
received a new handheld videogame system for her birthday
four months ago. She further realized that the kind of games
Francesca had been playing included those with violent content,
such as karate kick boxing, war simulation, and so on. Emily
asked the teacher if she thought the two could be related. When
Ms. Schneider agreed, Emily realized that taking away the game
system was the first thing she should do.
Psychological Effects of Media Violence (2 of 2)
A 15-year study by Huesmann, Moise-Titus, Podolski, & Eron
(2003) revealed that childhood exposure to media violence can
be a predictor to aggressive behavior among young adults.
When viewing violent TV shows, children may identify with
aggressive same-sex TV characters. In addition, if children
perceive TV violence as realistic, they can link it to aggression
when they are young adults. Of particular interest was the fact
that the effects did not vary substantially between the two
genders.
However, male children who watch violence on TV for long
hours are more likely to grow into adults who will more likely:
· push, grab, or shove their spouses
· respond to insults by shoving the person who insulted them
· be convicted of a crime—in this case, the rate of conviction is
three times the conviction rate of men who did not watch

6. violence on TV
Female children who watch violence on TV are more likely to
grow into adults who will more likely:
· throw something at their spouses
· respond to someone who angers them by shoving, punching,
beating, or choking the person
· commit some form of criminal act
Moreover, these women were reported to punch, beat, or choke
another adult at over four times the rate of women who did not
watch violence on TV.
Psychoeducational and Intervention Strategies (1 of 4)
Seven-year-old Kareem has been suspended from school for
karate-kicking a classmate, Malcolm, during recess. Although
Malcolm wasn’t seriously injured, his upper arm was badly
bruised. Kareem was detained in the principal’s office until his
mother, Jolene, arrived to take him home. When she arrived, the
principal, Mr. Warner, asked to speak with her about Kareem’s
behavior. Mr. Warner described Kareem’s increasingly
aggressive behavior as his homeroom teacher had noted over the
last few weeks. Jolene was both surprised and embarrassed by
Kareem’s behavior and indicated to Mr. Warner that she had
been unaware of Kareem’s behavior and was unsure of what to
do to change it. Jolene recalled that Kareem has been watching
a new TV show about a group of karate-kicking alien fighters,
and now it seems he is imitating this behavior with his friends.
Mr. Warner suggested that Kareem might benefit from an after-
school psychoeducational program designed to help children
displaying aggressive behavior. Mr. Warner also indicated that
the only stipulation for Kareem to join this program was that
she would have to attend with him to reinforce what he learns.
Assignments are provided for both mother and son to better
understand the frequency and types of media violence that
might influence young children.
Psychoeducational and Intervention Strategies (2 of 4)

7. In addition, the program has been designed on the basis of
suggested APA guidelines. This includes the following
educational segments:
· Guide the child to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
· Teach the child that real-life violence has consequences.
· Educate the parents on how to watch TV with the child to
facilitate learning and discussion about the following:
· Are any violent images or actions observed?
· What would happen if the same violent act were committed in
real life? For example, would anyone die or go to jail?
· Would the violence solve the problem or create more problems
for the characters?
· Ask the child how he or she feels after observing a violent TV
show, movie, or music videos
After going through the discourse about the program, Jolene
agrees to begin attending it as soon as she can.
This section highlighted that when effective individualized
intervention strategies are put into place on a timely basis, the
long-term effects of media violence can be mitigated.
Psychoeducational and Intervention Strategies (3 of 4)
On her eleventh birthday, Tina received a portable MP3 player,
which she uses to download music from the Internet. She has
learned to locate free music on the Internet from an offshore
peer-to-peer file sharing site that her friends informed her
about. Within a week, Tina downloaded over 20 gigabytes of
music (approximately 5,000 songs). Initially, she began with her
favorite pop music, but soon moved on to songs recommended
by her friends. Tina listens to music on her MP3 player
morning, noon, and night and is practically inseparable from it.
The only time she turns the player off is during school hours
and during meals she has with her family. As a result, Tina is
spending less and less time with her friends.
The holidays soon follow and Tina receives a TV as a gift. After

8. dinner, Tina returns to her room to watch her favorite music
video channel until her parents insist that she turn the TV off to
go to sleep. Now, Tina’s taste in clothing has changed to Goth,
and her music tastes have become very dark. Her grades in
school have been dropping. Tina’s mother recognizes a problem,
but is not sure how to intervene. She approaches their family
doctor for insights. The family doctor has provided a brochure
with information on how a parent might intervene with a child.
Let's explore guidelines for parental intervention for media
violence.
Psychoeducational and Intervention Strategies (4 of 4)
The AMA has created certain guidelines for parental
intervention for media violence. It lists the following steps:
1. Limit the use of a music player to one or two quality hours
per day.
2. Set situation limits. For example, no music before school or
before homework has been completed.
3. Remove the TV from children’s bedrooms and don’t allow a
music player in the bedroom after bedtime.
4. Turn the TV on only when a show worth watching is on, and
watch the show together as a family.
5. Know the music your children are listening to and be sure to
limit music with inappropriate lyrics or themes.
6. Set a good example and follow the same guidelines yourself.
Be sure to limit your own TV and music habits to the same
schedule as your children’s.
Though Tina was initially resistant to the new rules of the
house, after she observed her mother following the same rules,
she was more willing to comply. Tina’s grades in school began
to improve and she began to increase interacting socially

9. Developmental Resilience and Protective Processes (1 of 2)
After attending the psychoeducational program with his mother,
Kareem gained a better understanding of the dangers imitating
violence on TV and how he allowed it to adversely affect him.
He learned that what he observed on the cartoon shows on TV
were fantasies and that behavior should not be imitated. With a
better understanding of violence in media and with his mother’s
assistance, Kareem has been able to change his behavior to be
more respectful of others. Rather than watch TV in his spare
time, Kareem has decided to read or do his homework.
He and his mother enjoyed the psychoeducational program so
much that they decided to jointly volunteer as mentors to assist
other students and their parents to better understand the effects
of media violence.
The scenario points to Kareem’s new-found knowledge, his
change of behavior, and his desire to share the knowledge with
others. He has gained a sense of purpose by deciding to reach
out to assist others. He has also developed a sense of empathy
for others, having been in a similar situation himself. By
volunteering as a mentor and by showing his willingness to
share his experiences with those in need, he shows strong
interest in others as well as his personal hardiness
Developmental Resilience and Protective Processes (2 of 2)
Kareem has changed from being a victim of media violence to
being a mentor working to reduce the impact of media violence.
Kareem has gained a sense of purpose and belief in a positive
future by attending the psychoeducational program. His renewed

10. commitment to his education and to earning shows his growth in
a positive direction. In addition, he has displayed care for
others by becoming a mentor. It is evident that his exposure to
media violence has been mitigated and he currently displays no
longer-term effects from his exposure to violence.
As addressed through the week, resilient individuals possess a
range of strengths, such as optimism, self-knowledge, personal
meaning, and the ability to foster relationships and care for
themselves and others. By mobilizing these powers, the resilient
individual can confront life's obstacles and emerge with greater
wisdom, flexibility, and strength. Ideally, intervention programs
should promote resiliency and protect children from becoming
engrossed in media violence. This programming of the mind can
provide the added benefit of increasing self-esteem and
developing optimism, confidence, and autonomy, while
providing instruction designed to increase problem-solving and
coping skills.
Summary
This week, you explored the effects of the various forms of
media violence on children. In your research, you examined the
extent of exposure to various forms of media violence that
children face daily, and the importance of early intervention.
You learned that intervening with children was most successful
when a joint intervention approach was implemented by both
the parents and the child.
Your examination of the psychological effects of media
violence revealed that childhood exposure to media violence
was a predictor of young adult aggressive behavior. Your
research indicated that children may identify with aggressive
same-sex TV characters. Psychoeducational and intervention
techniques for children exposed to media violence should also
be individualized to maximize the benefit. Your observations
indicated that some children born with developmental resiliency
are able to mitigate the effects of media violence.