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National Institute on Media and the Family Study:
Children's Exposure to Media Violence
Linked to 'Culture of Disrespect'

The National Institute on Media and the Family has conducted a longitudinal study finding that children who consumed more media violence early in the school year were also more likely to see the world as a more hostile place and act more aggressively later in the school year.

The study is being presented by Douglas Gentile, Ph.D., director of research for the National Institute on Media and the Family and psychology professor at Iowa State University, on Friday May 28 at the American Psychological Society 16th Annual Convention Program in Chicago, IL. Dr. Gentile, lead author of the study, said, "This study shows that both the amount of time children spend in front of TV and computer screens and what they watch on those screens matters. Media violence is an important risk factor for antisocial behavior, and spending a lot of time in front of a screen is related to poorer school performance."

The study measures multiple types of media violence exposure, including television, video games, and movies. The study's findings suggest that media exposure may be related to lower grades in school and physical and verbal aggressive behavior in children in as short a time as two to six months. Participants in the study were 430 3rd through 5th graders, aged seven to 11. The sample was evenly divided between boys and girls.

"We also found that children who displayed antisocial and aggressive behavior are more likely to get rejected by their peers, which can lead to more educational and social problems for the child and links directly to the 'culture of disrespect' where more extreme behavior becomes the norm," said Dr. Gentile.

The study also examines whether parental involvement in their children's media habits play a role for later aggressive behavior. According to the study's findings, if parents are more involved in their children's media habits, their risk of antisocial behavior is decreased.

Dr. David Walsh, president of the National Institute on Media and the Family and co-author on the study, said, "What is remarkable is that media violence appears to affect all children, boys and girls, those who already are aggressive as well as those who aren't."

Copies of this research report are available upon request.

Dr. Gentile is the editor of Media Violence and Children: A Complete Guide for Parents and Professionals, which was published in 2003. The National Institute on Media and the Family is an independent, non-partisan, non-sectarian, nonprofit organization. Its MediaWise movement is being adopted in communities throughout the country to maximize the benefits and minimize the harm of media on children. For more information, please visit www.mediafamily.org on the Web or call 1-888-672-5437. This research was partially funded by the Laura Jane Musser Fund.

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