The Negative Effects Of Violence On Children

It is a matter of great importance how much of media content children are exposed to and what exactly they are viewing on media. The issue of violence is not a new phenomenon among children and keeps increasing with time and change in technology and information technology. The causes of violence in children are seen to be multifactorial and exposure of children to media violence is said to be an important factor when it comes to the etiology of behaviors that are violent among children.

When it comes to the topic of violent media, some of us would readily agree it’s a controversial subject as to whether kids should or shouldn’t be exposed to it. This is because many children who view violent media react negatively rather than not being affected at all. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of what effects does it have on children. Whereas some are convinced that it is a healthy alternative for kids to express themselves, others maintain that it causes kids to become more aggressive and contributes to juvenile crimes.

In “Violence Media is Good for Kids”, Gerald Jones described how violence is not always bad for kids, but can have a positive impact for them. Children learn from violent media how to solve problems in a different way. Violent media shows children that every obstacle they face is not the end of the world. By exploring the pages of violent media and exposing the children to violence it prepared the child for experiences in the future.

Overtime violence interrupted youth’s ability to focus, trust, communicate, believe and consider a future for themselves. Children who are exposed to high levels of risk factors are more violent than youths who are not exposed to such factors.

Violence has helped children lose the ability to decipher between what is real-life and recreational violence. When they lose this ability they believe that violence is accepted and a perfect way to solve their problems. Children who lose their ability to know right from wrong also have a greater tendency to believe that violence is natural and something to be

A child who was exposed or, experienced violence suffers multiply negative physical and mental health outcomes. Violence is especially distressing for smaller children, because they spend more time with their parents. Since, smaller children rely more on their parents to protect them and make their environment safe. Violence at home creates a stressful environment and also health problems that carries on into their adulthood. Exposure to violence at home may teach a child to learn to be more aggressive, fight and have antisocial behavior. Children who are exposed to violence at home have lower levels of self-esteem and social skills. “Research shows that the exposure to family violence during the early years when the capacity for emotion regulation is growing and children attachment to parents is strongest. It is important for children to feel wanted and can trust parents. If the trust is broken it’s disrupt child’s attachment and brain development. The plasticity of a child’s brain development have both negative and positive outcome. Positive in which a child is open to learn new things, but is also negative because the earliest stage is “vulnerable to development problems should their environment prove especially impoverished or un-nurturing.” Even though a child is exposed to traumatic events, they can be help by confronting.

Children in urban areas are affected emotionally, mentally, and physically because of various forms of violence they are subjected to on a daily basis. In the article, “The Impact of Violence on Children,” Joy Osofsky discusses violence relating to children from findings from previous research on this subject. In this article, Osofsky is trying to persuade other scientific professionals, health care physicians, and counselors or psychiatrists of the importance of researching and evaluating prevention and intervention programs to fully understand victims of violence. Osofsky makes it clear that she firmly believes that research is vital in finding better ways to understand violence. She argues that research can clarify the numerous ways that children can be exposed to violence, and how different types of violence can be handled to achieve the best way to help children cope. In this article, Osofsky effectively persuades her audience to invest in research to further expand the knowledge, prevention and intervention programs to help children exposed to violence through her use of pathos, logos, and ethos.

This context of violence promotes child maltreatment as there is a big portion of the United States population that suffers psychological and emotional problems, alcoholism, depression, drug abuse, eating disorders, obesity, high-risk sexual behaviors, smoking, and physical assault. Additionally, this context of violence promotes child maltreatment as there are people who haver poor knowledge of child development.

Today 's children are bombarded with images of violence in cartoons, news reports, television shows, computer games, movies, and other media. In growing numbers, they are also exposed to real-life violence in their own homes and communities--as witnesses, victims, and, increasingly, perpetrators. Too often, children learn that violence is an acceptable way to resolve conflict. Yet even

assaults, bullying, threats, abuse, etc.) over the past year (p. 7). These rates are alarming, especially considering the data was gathered from just 4503 children and youth, a relatively small number compared to the total number of children and youth living in America. Sadly, the research also found that children who had been exposed to “one type of violence” were more at risk for being exposed to or experiencing other types of violence (p. 7). Furthermore, “longitudinal studies indicate that the rates of exposure to violence remain constant across the years” (as cited in, Fowler, Tompsett, Braciszewski, Jacques-Tiura, & Baltes, 2009, p. 227). It seems as though children have been unable to escape exposure to violence, which can have lasting effects on their lives (p. 227). Thus, one can see why the federal government has taken a special interest in the issue of community violence exposure, especially among children.

Statistics indicate many aggressors at some point or another have witnessed acts of violence. During childhood, these observed behaviors can have a major impact and influence on adolescent and adult attitudes, perception of self and others. "Children become more susceptible and prone to negative and dangerous behaviors which can

Children view violence in different ways when they watch it on television, whether it is cartoons or a type of drama and action programming. After children have watched these television shows, they may have interpreted the meaning into a negative behavior. It could influence them by becoming aggressive, afraid of the world that surrounds them, or it may lead to confusion. When it is said that children may become confused because their parents teach that violence is wrong. When they view someone in a “superhero” position participating in violence, they may see that as it is all right for the simple fact the good person does the action. According to the American Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry, “the impact of TV violence may be immediately evident in the child's behavior or may surface years later (AACAP, 2011).”

Exposure to violence (from hearing about to witnessing or even being victimized by) can be very traumatic for children and youth and affect brain development leading to lasting effects that can continue well into adulthood. Students living in urban neighborhoods are often exposed to more violent crime, murder, stabbings, shootings, rape, robbery, and assaults than students living in suburban or rural neighborhoods. Studies show that “over 85% of urban youth report witnessing some form of community violence in their lifetime and almost 70% report direct victimization” (McDonald, Deatrick, Kassam-Adams, & Richmond, 2011, p. 925). Students living in

While the rate of crime in the United States has decreased overall an increase in senseless violence being committed by young people leaves individuals trying to understand what is to blame. “It is encouraging that the rate of crimes of violence in the United States has dropped about 15 percent since 1999. However, self-reported violent offending by American youth has not declined.” (Funk et al. 1) Work place violence, road rage disputes and mass school shootings are just a few examples of violence that has become common place in society. Adolescent perpetrating violent crimes has been on the rise as is evident with the number of shootings and physical altercations in recent years. Many have tried to identify what is causing this increase in violence among children. The growing problem of violence and aggressive behavior in society is speculated to be credited in part to the rise of violent video games.

In the book Critique of Violence ,author Walter describes Violence as "The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, male development, or deprivation .The violence that is portrayed in the media has been debated for decades ,and it has rose a question about how does it influence the youth?. From movies to video games society has been accustom to seeing violence in their everyday entertainment. Since children are easy to be influence by their environment, it is safe to say that violence in the media can and will contribute to violent behavior.