Impact of On-Screen Violence on Children’s Behavior Essay

Introduction

The question of how much what is viewed on the screen can affect the child’s psyche has long been studied and is essential for parents. Many people think that this is not capable of causing any harm to children and does not affect their mental state in any way. However, others are sure of the detrimental consequences that can manifest in children’s behavior and affect their morale. The conflicting views of people are forcing society to study this topic in more detail, as there is evidence of the impact of on-screen violence on the behavior of children. Demonstration of scenes of cruelty can significantly affect the child’s development and worldview.

Causes of Influence

I think that the violence shown on the screen can be compassionately perceived by children, and they may not fully understand what is happening. Some scientific studies highlight the fact that violence shown on television can negatively affect how children perceive it (Gross, 2013). One necessary consequence for children who experience screen violence can be a deterioration in their conflict resolution skills. This is due to the decline of empathy due to observing excessive cruelty and unjustified characters’ behavior on television (Gross, 2013). Thus, children are not able to distinguish completely works of art from real life, which leads to the incorrect formation of their psyche.

To agree that violence on the screen has a negative effect on children can also be due to chemical changes. They occur in the brain of a child while watching a movie with excessive or unjustified violence. Moreover, these changes are comparable to those that occur with post-traumatic stress disorder, which indicates the highly negative impact of scenes of violence on the brain of a child (Gross, 2013). This influence may be further exacerbated by the fact that the brain continues to mature in children, and during this period, it is incredibly receptive and vulnerable to any emotions. The appearance of a robust adverse chemical reaction can support the fact that children cannot fully distinguish between reality and fictional events, which causes them moral harm.

Influences of Behavior

Since most children are susceptible to violence on screen, their conflict resolution methods change in real life depending on what they see. More aggressive behavior may result from scenes of violence, as such a scenario is more evident to the child (Gross, 2013). In addition, they may begin to think that if this method always works in the film, then in real life, it will also be possible to solve their problems. Because of this, bullying and unfair treatment may appear in some cases. Otherwise, a child repeating the behavior transferred from films can become an outcast in society, negatively affecting socialization.

Harm Reduction Strategies

To reduce the effect of scenes of violence, parents can have a conversation with their children about why what they see cannot and should not be repeated in real life. Such preventive conversations can be an alternative to a complete ban and control of everything that a child sees. In addition, it can give them an understanding of why violence is not the best choice in conflict resolution and that it can have adverse effects.

Conclusion

In conclusion, on-screen violence and scenes of cruelty can negatively affect the psyche of children and lead them to repeat the behavior they see. Moreover, it also causes a specific chemical reaction in the brain that takes its toll and can lead to further detrimental effects. Therefore, children need a detailed explanation that what they see in a movie or TV series cannot be repeated in real life. Thus, children must learn to understand that violence is the wrong choice for dealing with life situations.

Reference

Gros, G. (2013). Violence on TV and how it can affect your children. Web.