TV may turn four-year-olds into bullies

Young children who watch a lot of television are more likely to become bullies, a new study reveals. The authors suggest the increasingly violent nature of children’s cartoons may be to blame.

Previous studies have linked television to aggressive behaviour in older children and adolescents. But a team led by Frederick Zimmerman, an economist at the University of Washington in Seattle, US, has now traced the phenomenon to four-year-olds.

The researchers used existing data from a national US survey to study the amount of television watched by 1266 four-year-olds. Then they compared that amount with follow-up reports - by the children's mothers - on whether the children bullied or were "cruel or mean to others" when they were between six and 11 years old.

www.newscientist.com...

I would ask everyone who reads this to watch the movie "demolision man" and see the results of such insanity. The "San Angelous" enlightened few from absolute control of everything "bad". That or the movie "equilibrium" where all emotion is controled by super "prozac".

This is something else. I'm glad my parents didn't buy a TV untioll I was about 12 or so. I think I'll do the same for my child. Because, even if this story is untrue, TV is mindless to children. I'm sure you've all seen it... that zombie glaze a kid gets infront of a TV. Nothin' going on upstairs.

Better to raed a book or cruise on the 'net! Of course I was playing Diablo II and other M rated games when I was 12... oh well! At least the taught me to type.

I grew up when Bugs Bunny and Popeye cartoons weren't edited as they are today. Flash Gordon, Saturday movie matinee submariners and Cowboy Heros were always killing off the bad guys. Hate to disappoint this "researcher", but I didn't grow up to be a sociopath! Childhood aggression is a natural, normal stage of development, starting with "MINE!" It's what control and response that the parent or caregiver invokes that is the developmental factor.

One must be a bit skeptical of these types of reports, simply because it is almost impossible to determine causality with these types of data. I have access to this journal and will look at the actual methodology the next time I go to the library.

The newscientist.com article says

The researchers used existing data from a national US survey to study the amount of television watched by 1266 four-year-olds. Then they compared that amount with follow-up reports - by the children's mothers - on whether the children bullied or were "cruel or mean to others" when they were between six and 11 years old.

They most likely ran a correlation between hours of TV watched and amount of "bullying" behavior (as defined by the authors), and this correlation turned out to be statistically significant. However, is it all that unlikely that some children who have social problems at age six and 11 are more likely to watch more TV when they are younger? Where is the causality? Or is there some third variable causing increased TV watching and bullying behavior? It looks like the researchers did try to address this possibility by examining the effects of cognitive stimulation and emotional support as well, and they determined that,

because the effects of cognitive stimulation, emotional support and television viewing can be teased apart and examined separately, Zimmerman says the chances of the bad behaviours coming before the excess TV viewing are generally reduced.

I don't understand that sentence. Did they find that these other variables weren't inflating the correlation between TV watching and bullying? I don't understand how they solved the problem in the design. I will try to get the original source and see what they did.

It's just annoying when the an article like the one in NewScientist is titled "TV may turn four-year-olds into bullies" and then by the end of the article it turns out that they should have titled it "TV may sort of be associated with increased acts of cruelty later but we really aren't sure, it could just be something else"

Good find, DrHoracid.

Yep, that's right, blame the TV for aggression and leave the parents' job completely out of it.

Sorry to say, but I loved cartoons, they were great, and I'm not even the tiniest bit aggressive. TV may be a factor to aggression, but it's so miniscule compared to everything else.

Originally posted by cownosecat
This is something else. I'm glad my parents didn't buy a TV untioll I was about 12 or so. I think I'll do the same for my child. Because, even if this story is untrue, TV is mindless to children. I'm sure you've all seen it... that zombie glaze a kid gets infront of a TV. Nothin' going on upstairs.

Better to raed a book or cruise on the 'net! Of course I was playing Diablo II and other M rated games when I was 12... oh well!

At least the taught me to type.

I think tv can be a valuable tool sometimes. It's just a matter of how it is utilized. I could argue and say that video games and the net are bad influences on children too. If parents don't get involved with the stimulation of a child's mind and help them grow than they shouldn't have kids. Discovery Channel, TLC, History Channel are just a few good channels that I can think of that provide educational stimulation.

i don't believe that tv violance is the problem. it is the lack of disiplen.

just a couple of years ago a guy was arrested for child abuse when he was seen at a truck stop spanking his little girl. the public was outraged that he dared hit his child. then opinon changed a couple of weeks later (it was still a hot news item), when the full story came out. he was spankeing her after she purposely slammed her little brothers arm in the car door on purpose. we have been led to belive over the years that disiplen was bad for the child. now we wonder about all the little criminals we have. and kids who just don't care about anything but themselves.

Originally posted by drogo
i don't believe that tv violance is the problem. it is the lack of disiplen.

just a couple of years ago a guy was arrested for child abuse when he was seen at a truck stop spanking his little girl. the public was outraged that he dared hit his child. then opinon changed a couple of weeks later (it was still a hot news item), when the full story came out. he was spankeing her after she purposely slammed her little brothers arm in the car door on purpose. we have been led to belive over the years that disiplen was bad for the child. now we wonder about all the little criminals we have. and kids who just don't care about anything but themselves.

I see nothing wrong with disciplining a child. They need structure. I don't think that it's ok to slap them in the face or head area, but a good spanking is just what the doctor ordered sometimes. People are far too lax on their children now a days with these "time outs" and let's talk about our feelings. It's this "feel good" philosophy and Dr. Spock therapy that is turning the children of america into monsters. They are sheltered and protected way TOO much.

Bugs Bunny - now there was a classic bully. Ridiculing, slapping, poor treatment of others.

And much easier to emulate on the schoolyard, then gunplay, tanks, lasers, explosions, and other trappings of some more modern, "violent" cartoons.

Perhaps it has to due with the amount of Tv, versus learning proper social skills, or as others have said, lack of parental presence. If a child has to bully for attention at home ("Pay attention to me!"), they'll do the same at school.

this was done by an Economist? shouldnt it have been done by a psychologist?

The link appears to be dud. What a load of garbage TV dosnt create bullies people not TV shows create bullies. Its the parents fault for not spending enough time with there kids or practicing bad parenting.
I suppose B1 & B2 brainwashed kids to go shooting in School.

Originally posted by NuTroll
this was done by an Economist? shouldnt it have been done by a psychologist?

Data is data. It doesn't matter who collected it. If a psychologist happens to collect solid data on an economic trend and does a rigorous analysis, don't worry about what his/her major field is.

On the other hand, this looks like a fuzzy analysis with lots of spin. Blame it on the press.

phaedrus

i don't believe that tv violance is the problem. it is the lack of disiplen.

I see nothing wrong with disciplining a child. They need structure. I don't think that it's ok to slap them in the face or head area, but a good spanking is just what the doctor ordered sometimes.

What a load of garbage TV dosnt create bullies people not TV shows create bullies. Its the parents fault for not spending enough time with there kids or practicing bad parenting.

Did any of you read the original source? Do you have any evidence for your views? Are you just spouting off your opinion without any facts? You are sounding like the quacks you hate. Deny ignorance.

phaedrus

[quote]

Did any of you read the original source? Do you have any evidence for your views? Are you just spouting off your opinion without any facts? You are sounding like the quacks you hate. Deny ignorance.

phaedrus

Go back and read my orginal post the link didnt work for me .

Stop the problem while it's small.
Some adults think children should be left alone to work out their problems with other children without adult interference. Self-enforced problem-solving may work for children who have been specifically trained and are able to solve problems without resorting to aggressive behavior. If a child hasn't been able to resolve problems without whacking, biting or bullying his or her neighbor, parents should intervene as soon as the behavior appears. If you wait until the fourth or sixth time before you prompt your child to stop, the problem may escalate.
source

Note TV is not mentioned in the source the only people think TV creates bullies are people that cant be bothered raising there kids and bunch of whining consertives some people would have nothing to say if they werent turning there nose down at society.
What else should I expect after all it easier to blame TV rather then be a better parent?

Note to parents:

TV is not for babysitting or teaching your children. You are.

Children imitate alot of what they see, but it is up to the parents to teach their kids that Bugs Bunny dropping an anvil or grand piano on Elmer Fudd's head should not be re-created in real life.

Most kids I knew who were bullies had bad parents, not bad television programing.

[edit on 11-4-2005 by Facefirst]

What the Jewish Hell on Christmas? I watch the most violent anime, Vampie Hunter D 1&2, Ghost in the Shell 1&2, Ninja Scroll, Inuyasha, all violent as can be, and not a bully.

Again, this is a person paid by parents to blame everything but parents. Is it any wonder that children shrinks blame everyone bu the kid/parent? If parents paid for your car, house, boat, new 100 foot flat screen LCD HDTV 3D Super new tech tv, are you going to tell them the kid is a little bastard who needs a good beating? No, you are going to blame everything else.

Damn, I didn't act up at school, my mom gave my teachers permission to beat me to keep me in line, and so I stayed in line. I did something stupid, whop, didn't do it again. Nowadays a kid burns the pet dog, time out. He kills his sister, timeout. He burns the entire school down, time out. WTF? Tme out? So I can't do anything for 10 minutes? Oh no.... or ground me? WTF? take my tv, pc, whatever, I got plenty of books to read. My mom knew that wouldn't/doesn't work, and so if me or my sister screwed up, we were "taught" a lesson. Sure people today call not buying the newest pokeman game child abuse, but damn, this is bs. You can't even yell at your kids nowadays without cops showing up because someone called them for child abuse.