http://www.nssc1.org/how-movies-influence-a-child-to-commit-school-violence.html

How movies influence a child to commit school violenceThe recent increase in school violence have cause American residents to panic. Parents are now scared to send their children to school for fear of being victimized by school violence. What was once a safe haven for learning has turned into a warzone between violent children and other students. As proof of to this recent thinking are recorded incidents of school violence like the Columbine High School massacre, Virginia Tech massacre and the Bath School disaster. The increasing amount of children with violent behavior can be blamed on bad atmosphere at home, severe stress and lack of self confidence, teacher not paying attention, parents who constantly fight with one another, lack of guidance and support, feeling of being alone during times of difficulty and depression, etc. To add to these factors, movies also increase childrens exposure to violence by showing violent scenes and sequences. The most important age for any person is his early childhood. This is the part wherein a person is vulnerable to anything, and absorbs anything be it right or wrong. This is where they learn almost everything that will eventually shape a persons very being, mentally, morally and emotionally. Imagine a child learning ways on how to kill by simply watching a movie. Since movies today involve new ways of killing a person, a child not knowing which is right or wrong takes it like any other lesson being given to him and learns it quickly. They then practice this new found knowledge or skill in school and on other children. What they dont know, is that what they are doing is wrong and will eventually ruin their life and future. The last question in your mind might be what in the world can we do to bring these violent children back to the world of humanity? Federal departments should work on an act or a bill limiting the violence shown in TV shows and movies. Certain films and TV shows may be denied the right be released on the market if it contains a large amount of violence. However, this will take some time and will involve a long and slow process. For now, parents may take responsibility and limit what their children are watching. As it is the duty of parents and schools to groom the children to have a bright future, they should take the initiative and restrict children on what they watch. Teachers are equally responsible when it comes to child development. They should educate children about the negative effects of watching violent films and TV shows. Teacher should also encourage children to take up reading as a hobby or to watch knowledge related shows. This not only gives a child a chance to develop positive attitudes, it also provides him with knowledge that he will need to survive in todays competitive world. With the right film, guidance, and knowledge, we can groom children in a very positive way, thus eliminating the chances that they will develop any kind of violent behavior.

http://allpsych.com/journal/violentmedia.html

The Psychological Effects of Violent Media on ChildrenAimee TompkinsDecember 14, 2003

Abstract Recent research has shown that connections between children playing violent video games can cause later aggressive behavioral problems. In retrospect studies have also shown a twelve percent increase in aggressive behavior after watching violent television as well. Some parents and psychologists have said that there are children who benefit from the proficiency and coordination of playing video games while others disagree. Critics of video games claim that watching violent television is less detrimental due to the children not physically playing out the violence. Research has also shown heavy viewers, which is four or more hours a day, put in less effort at school, have poorer reading skills, play less friendly with friends, have fewer hobbies and activities, and are more likely to be overweight. The American Psychological Association says there are three major effects of watching violence in the media (i.e.: video games/television) children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, children may be more fearful of the world around them, and children may be more likely to behave in aggressive or hurtful ways toward others. The Psychological Effects of Violent Media on Children Everything that children see or hear in the media early on in their lives affects them in some way. Positive parenting role models indicate that in the best interest of our children we should limit their exposure to violent acts. Unfortunately, violence is one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Over sixty percent of television shows being shown in prime time contain some form of violence. There are two very opposite sides of this issue. The media who market the violent television, video games and other forms of entertainment argue this is safe entertainment and the others argue that violence promotes violence Current research tends to agree with the proponents who argue that violent media is associated with aggressive behavior. Risky behavior by children and young adults can include violence against others, lack of remorse for consequences. The type of faulty thinking creates stressors in children which can lead to the onset of many different symptoms. Children who view media violence are more likely to have increased feelings of hostility, decreased emotional response to the portrayal of violence and

injury that lead to violent behavior through imitation. An example here would be the television show Jack Ass. There have been several accidents related to young men attempting stunts that are done on the show. The act of imitating what they have seen on a television show causes injury to themselves or others around them. The Academy of Pediatrics says More than one thousand scientific studies and reviews conclude that significant exposure to media violence increases the risk of aggressive behavior in certain children, desensitizes them to violence and makes them believe that the world is a meaner and scarier place than it is. If children begin to think that this type of violence is normal behavior these thoughts are often said to be difficult to change later on in life. This is similar to the studies of domestic violence where children who are exposed to violence either become offenders or victims because they believe that what they are exposed to is the norm. One instance that brought the worry of violence in media is the Columbine incident. The two young men that committed this act of violence were said to have played numerous hours of violent video games. Their exposure to violence is said to have been the cause since the children involved in Columbine came from secure home environments with active parental influence. As with Michael Carneal, from Kentucky, who in 1997 shot and killed three of his classmates. He too was also said to have been a video game fanatic. Michael Breen an attorney in the case against Michael Carneal stated in court; Michael Carneal clipped off nine shots in a 10-second period. Eight of those shots were hits. Three were head and neck shots and were kills. That is way beyond the military standard for expert marksmanship. This was a kid who had never fired a pistol in his life, but because of his obsession with computer games he had turned himself into an expert marksman (Ivory, 2003), (Hanson, 1999, p. 15). These two instances in a whole may be small evidence however, proves that violent media play a role in such violence. Another view from researchers suggests that performing violent acts in video games may be more contributing to children's aggression than passively watching violent acts on television. According to this view, the more children practice violent acts, the more likely they are to perform violent acts (Cesarone, 1994). In most video games women are usually portrayed as persons who are acted upon rather than as initiators of action, in the extreme they are depicted as victims. Games such as, Grand Theft Auto promote prostitution, theft, and violent behavior. This game encourages males to act out these behaviors to move further along in the game. The movie the Matrix for example was said to be the triggering factor to the violent high school students that wore trench coats. They were eventually arrested for trying to play out their role as The One. Research has found that males play video games more often than women which may be the producing factor of such violence in video games. It is believed that acting out such violence as opposed to just viewing the violence causes the children to become more familiar with how to act out violence without consequences.

On the other hand the makers of these violent types of media such as movies, video games and television argue that violent children are drawn towards these types of violent entertainment. These people believe that the child must have been exposed to more than just programming in order to exhibit behaviors that they may have seen on television or in the media. Some will argue though that the real effect is so small that in fact one hypothesis suggests that exposure to violent media can actually provide a healthy release for the frightening emotions of children and young adults. At the age children begin to play video games they have not quite developed the ability to distinguish between what is reality and what its not. This can cause young children to act upon the violence they have viewed on television, video games and such, not knowing that what they are doing is wrong or inappropriate. Unfortunately violent situations are all too common in everyday entertainment and there are far less programming choices that are non-violent than there are violent. The National Coalition on Television Violence reported there has been a consistent increase in the number of violent themed video games. These games increased from fifty three percent in 1985 to eighty two percent in1988 (Cesarone, 1994). The agreement amongst researchers on television violence is that there is a significant increase from 3% to 15% in individuals' aggressive behavior after watching violent television (Cesarone, 1994). Even if the choices did exist the research has proven parents actually have no clue as to what their children watch on television. Parents need to be attentive to the content these games have and question whether they are appropriate for the age of their child. Parents should also monitor the amount of time their children spend playing video games. For instance a co-workers eight year old child said to me I watched an R rated movie one time because there were not any parents around. In one multicultural study that was completed, found that in six different nations young Americans had the least amount of work responsibility assigned to them. This leads to an excess number of manufactured video games and store bought materials to entertain them. Rather than being forced to go outside to participate in activities they are encouraged to stay inside and watch television or play video games alone. Together these two factors contribute to video game over usage. A study conducted in 1989, on video game usage and content found that most of the arcade games contained antisocial values of a violent nature (Ivory, 2001). The only part of the issue that researchers do agree about is that violent media types are not the only cause of children committing violent acts. The involvement of parents in what their children watch, how the family interacts with each other, what the children are exposed to in their environment are also indicators of how they will behave and what value system they will follow. In 1995 one research revealed that both impulsive and reflective young adults showed increased amounts of violent aggression towards play objects after playing violent and non-violent video games. However, in a contradictory study it was found that there was not a difference between children that were exposed to violent media and those who were exposed to

non-violent media. The catharsis theory disputes the claim that violent video game content encourages aggression (Ivory, 2001). This theory suggests that the emotional drive evoked by violent video game play reduces the chance of a child actually exhibiting violent behavior; the childs fantasy play and imagined actions causes the child to have reduced urges to act out aggression in actual behavior (Ivory, 2001). Whatever you believe, the US surgeon generals report only suggests possible short term effects. There is no strong evidence on the long term effects of media violence. The fact is that research is stronger towards media violence being a precursor to increased aggression in children and young adults. This fact alone should be enough for parents to become more involved in what their children are exposed to. According to Wartella and Reeves, Our review found a progression from early attention to studies of media use to increasing emphasis on issues of physical and emotional harm, and changes in childrens knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (Ivory, 2001). There are some responsible companies who are taking steps to inform parents about the content of the entertainment. Cartridge locks were developed by one company in 1990 to prevent unsupervised access to video games. Several companies have developed their own rating system for violence to help parents monitor their childs free time. X-Unfit and XV (highly violent), PG and G ratings are the ratings from The National Coalition on Television Violence to rate video game violence. With hopes that other video game makers will follow Sega has developed their own rating system which include general, mature, and adult audience. As for Nintendo they use the general rating that is used for movies; G, PG, PG-13 and R rated. The only problem with these ratings are that some parents are not aware of them and stores still sell these games to children that are not old enough to be purchasing them. However, this is a helpful guide for parents that do monitor there childs form of entertainment. In conclusion, not one research conducted could prove either positive or negative long term outcomes of violent media. The fact of the matter is that parents should monitor and be more attentive to their children. In the act of a busy life we all tend to forget the real life issues. Parents need to pay more attention to their childrens lives and not sit them in front of the television, weather it is for movies, video games, or general television shows. In my opinion in this day and age most parents get too wrapped up in their own lives to be overly concerned about what their children are doing. Raising a child is hard enough in this day and age but you add all the outside media violence and it makes it ten times harder to steer your child in the right direction. Does that really mean violent media causes children to be violent? I dont believe so these children get bored and should be limited to the types of media entertainment they are exposed to. All we can do as parents is pay attention to our children and stay involved in their lives before it is too late. References

Cesarone, Bernard, 1994, Video Games and Children ERIC Digest.http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/video.games.html. Accessed October 26, 2003 Child Development Institute, 2003, Video Games and Children,http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/healthsafety/videogamesandchildrens .html Accessed October 26, 2003 Ivory, James D., 2001, Video Games and the Elusive Search for their Effects on Children: An assessment of Twenty Years of Research, http://www.unc.edu/~jivory/video.html. Accessed November 16, 2003 Villani, Susan, 2003, Media Violence: More than Just Childs Play? Facts of Life: Issue Briefings for Health Reporters vol. 8, no. 10. http://www.cfah.org/factsoflife/vol8no10.cfm. Accessed Oct 26, 2003

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1042467/DR-ARIC-SIGMAN-How-seeingmovies-like-Batman-turn-children-violent.html

DR ARIC SIGMAN: How seeing movies like Batman can turn our children violentBy DR ARIC SIGMANUPDATED: 10:21 GMT, 7 August 2008

Amid all the controversy over the 12A classification awarded to the latest Batman blockbuster, The Dark Knight, one vital piece of evidence has yet to be addressed. And it could be the most crucial of all. While there is understandable concern about children being upset by - or acting out - screen violence, recent findings by scientists about the long-term effect of such material on the brain is, for me, by far the most shocking aspect. In one study, experts found that changes occur in the brain functions that control impulse and aggression when children see scenes of violence on screen. And there is growing evidence that this change can lead to violent behaviour in the future. Disturbing: Batman and The Joker in a scene from The Dark Knight Researchers monitored brain activity in a group of children while they watched a variety of film scenes - ranging from a bloody boxing match in the Sylvester Stallone film, Rocky IV, to images of baby animals. When watching Rocky IV, a section of the children's brains was activated that is also believed to hold long-term memories of traumatic events. It is where rape victims store memories of being attacked, for example, and where traumatised war veterans store their experiences in battle. The study's lead author, Professor John Murray, testified before the U.S. Senate that the brain 'treats entertainment violence as something real and stores this violence as long-term memory'. He added: 'The brain is treating it as serious stuff.'

Many parents labour under the misapprehension that by accompanying their children to the cinema or by sitting with them in front of the television they can counter the effects of violence on them. Others, unrestrained by common sense, argue that by teaching children 'media literacy' - in other words explaining that screen violence is not real - will immunise them from any effects. More... British film censors under pressure as other countries give violent Batman a 15 certificate But new neurological evidence shows that children are unable to distinguish between fictional and actual violence and indicates that parents can do nothing to minimise the long-term effects of what their child is seeing just by being present or discussing it with them. Comparing the brain activity of non-aggressive adolescents with those diagnosed with disruptive behavioural disorders while they watched moderately violent scenes provided further insights. In another study, adolescents with DBD showed less activity in their frontal lobe - the area responsible for decision-making, behaviour, impulse control and attention - than those who had had little or no exposure to such material before. Even more interesting was follow up research which found that watching screen violence had changed the frontal lobe brain function of the 'normal adolescents' to be more like that of the children with DBD. The entertainment industry claims no two films - or indeed video games - will affect the same people in the same way and argue that you can't generalise. Video games may exert an even more powerful effect on a child and now is there further evidence to show precisely what happens to a child's brain while he or she is shooting the 'bad guys'. This study, published in the journal Human Brain Mapping, described how brain areas associated with emotional and appropriate social responses are suppressed. With every new round on the video game, the players reacted more violently but with less emotion to the threat of violence conditioning their brains to respond this way in real life. The younger the child, the more easily the size, structure and function of their brain can be altered permanently as a direct result of what they are exposed to. A good example of this is the finding that learning a musical instrument by the age of 12 will actually make the left temporal region of a child's brain larger. This gives them a better verbal memory and vocabulary in later life. Equally, the brain size and function of children raised without nurturing or love is also different to those raised in a warm, loving environment. What we must take from these and many other examples is that children's brains are in transition and it is important that we control - censor what they experience in order to provide the best conditions for their development. However, the evidence of the potential danger posed to a child's brain development by these violent films does not seem to feature in the decisions made by those entrusted to look after their interests. Earlier this year in removing bans on certain 'video nasties', the British Board of Film Classification reportedly stated that while they were tasteless, there was no evidence the films caused harm to viewers. 'Times shift, attitudes change,' they said. Social mores may change - the brain function of children and young people does not.

In the U.S., six of the country's most prominent medical groups, including the American Medical Association, are so concerned about the lack of appropriate screen censorship that they appeared before a U.S. Congressional Public Health summit which said: 'The conclusion of the public health community, based on over 30 years of research, is that viewing entertainment violence can lead to increases in aggressive attitudes, values and behaviour.' By giving this violent Batman a 12A classification, the BBFC exemplifies the preoccupation that those in authority have for not offending or disappointing when that is part of their role, for not appearing authoritarian when we need them to be, and for always wanting to be 'in touch' with youth culture when their job is simply to protect the young. Dr Aric Sigman is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and author of Remotely Controlled (Vermilion, 2007).

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Kids and Violent Movies: A Scary TrendMore Young Children Are Watching Violent Movies; Researchers Fear the Negative Effects of Violent Media on KidsSave This Article For LaterShare this: Font size:

AAABy Caroline Wilbert WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Aug. 5, 2008 -- More than 12% of children aged 10 to 14 are watching R-rated violent movies, prompting researchers to call for an overhaul of the movie rating system and for more involvement from pediatricians. A study by Dartmouth researchers, published in the journal Pediatrics, focuses on 40 movies rated R for violence and shows that these movies have been seen by about 12.5% of American children between the ages of 10 and 14. The study was conducted in 2003 among 6,522 adolescents aged 10-14 and included top box-office movies from 1998 to 2003 that were rated R for violence.Parenting Videos

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Some movies scored higher. The R-rated Scary Movie, starring Carmen Electra, had been seen by 48% of children aged 10 to 14. "We know so much about the harmful effects of exposure to violent media content, but how much exposure children actually get has largely been ignored," says Keilah Worth, PhD, the lead author on the study and a post-doctoral fellow at Dartmouth Medical School and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center's Norris Cotton Cancer Center. Researchers point to an existing body of research that documents the negative effects of violent media on children. "A clear picture has emerged that exposure to violent media increases the likelihood of aggressive thoughts, emotions, and behavior," the authors write. The movie rating system, designed 40 years ago when the only way to see a movie was in a theater, no longer is adequate, according to researchers. These days, with DVDs, pay-per-view, and movies that are downloadable off the Internet, children have more access than ever to adult media. Many parents likely are not aware of what their kids are watching. Researchers call for pediatricians to play a more active role by educating parents about how many children are actually watching violent movies and the harmful effects of that exposure. Doctors could also assist parents with technology, such as the V-chip, to restrict access to media. "Ratings need to be more prominent on all movies, whether they are seen in theaters or purchased in the store, and we need clearer messages to parents," James Sargent, MD, professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School, says in a news release.

http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2006/02/08/watching-violent-movies-does-t/

Cognitive DailyWhat watching violent movies does to kids brainsOne of the first questions our son Jim asks when a new movie comes out is whats it rated? The more adult the rating, the more appealing the movie is to him: PG is the lowest rating hell even consider, PG-13 is better, and R is best. Since hes only 14, we dont take him to many R-rated movies, which is possibly what adds to their appeal. But even PG-rated movies and TV shows still display an abundance of violence, and plenty of parents are happy to let their kids watch violent programming, especially if there isnt any sex involved. Weve reported on a lot of media violence studies on Cognitive Daily, (for a summary of the effects of violent media on youth, see here, here, and here), but it still came as a surprise to us that until now, there hadnt been a brain activation study of children exposed to media violence. A team led by John Murray has addressed that deficiency with a new experiment on 8- to 12-year-olds. They began by pre-screening 40 children by monitoring physiological responses to violent videos. They selected 15 children who showed similar responses to the videos: they were accelerators, whose heart rate increased when viewing violence. This would allow them to more easily compare brain responses in the second phase of the study. These 15 children were monitored by an fMRI machine while they watched three different videos: scenes from the PBS childrens show Ghostwriter, a National Geographic nature show, and the over-the-top Stallone vehicle Rocky IV (albeit the edited for TV-version). To get a baseline level, the kids also spent some time viewing a figure X on a blue screen. Seven of the results had to be discarded because the kids moved around too much during the test, but the other eight fMRI scans provided significant results. The fMRI scan provides a three-dimensional image of all brain activity. Since the brain is active in many different regions, the first thing the researchers had to do is isolate the activity that was different while kids watched videos. This was done by subtracting the values of brain activity while watching the fixed X from the activity while watching videos (Viol Fix and Non Viol Fix in the figure below). To compare violent versus non-violent videos, the researchers subtracted the non-violent brain activity from the violent brain activity.

This picture shows three different slices of the brain, viewed from overhead. The front of the brain is at the top of the images. Each row corresponds to a particular level of the brain, at a specified level (the z values indicate the relative distance from the center of the brain). For the most part, similar regions of the brain are activated, corresponding to the visual and auditory areas of the brain. But when we look at the difference between violent and non-violent scans, those areas are mostly cancelled out, and we are left with images showing the differences between viewing violent and non-violent videos. The next set of images shows only the difference between the violent and non-violent videos, which was the focus of this study.

These images move progressively lower in the brain, showing differences at eight levels. The differences in the paralymbic area (marked Par) in the right hemisphere indicate that the violent videos used significantly more emotional processing. The posterior cingulate nucleus (PCg) was also activated, indicating emotional memory retrieval. The hippocampus (Hipp) activation indicates episodic memory storage, suggesting violent videos are more likely to be remembered. Finally, the right amygdala (Amg), the center of the fear reflex, was also activated. Murray et al. argue that the activation of primitive regions of the brain such as the amygdala suggest that though children may be aware that violent media present no real danger, their brains response is identical to situations when a real threat is present. The amygdala is also active in impulsive aggressive individuals, suggesting that children may have little control over their response to violent media. Since long-term memory regions are also affected by violent videos, its possible that the effects of the videos extend beyond the viewing period. Murrays team cautions that their study results may not be generalizable. They studied only one type of violence, and didnt compare it to an equally arousing nonviolent video, so perhaps the effects they observed are due to arousal rather than violence. These results are certainly consistent with Jims behavior and preference for more violent movies, however. What they cant explain is why, other than to see James Browns catchy anthem Living in America, so many people paid $7 to watch a film whose focus was two men pummelling each other while engaging in inane, monosyllabic dialog such as Dolph Lundgrens I defeat all man.

Murray, J.P., Liotti, M., Ingmundson, P.T., Mayberg, H.S., Pu, Y., Zamarripa, F., Liu, Y., Woldorff, M.G., Gao, J., and Fox, P.T. (2006). Childrens brain activations while viewing televised violence revealed by fMRI. Media Psychology, 8, 25-37.