TV linked to aggressive behaviour in children

[Posted: Wed 04/11/2009 by Olivia Fens]

Children who are exposed to more than five hours of TV a day are more likely to display signs of aggression, a new study has found.

In the study, researchers analysed data from more than 3,100 mothers of children born between 1998 and 2000 in 20 large US cities.

Almost two-thirds of the mothers reported that their child watched more than two hours of television per day.

Furthermore, most of the children were exposed to an extra 5.2 hours of household TV per day.

The researchers found that direct TV exposure and household TV use were both “significantly associated with childhood aggression”.

“One explanation that could link both child and household TV measures with aggression involves the parenting environment,” the researchers from the University at Albany, State University of New York and Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine said.

“Households with higher rates of TV use may have fewer restrictions on children’s viewing habits such as exposure to unregulated television content.

“Increased household television use may also affect daily routines such as eating and communication patterns and may decrease time spent on other activities.”

However, the researchers said that further research in this area was needed.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Anonymous  Posted: 09/11/2009 12:59

Why on earth would anyone regularly let a child watch TV for 5 hours a day?

Jamie  Posted: 10/11/2009 14:00

No surprise, this survey was done in the US.

buzz  Posted: 10/11/2009 15:46

There are a lot of things responsible for childhood agression these days. Its not just tv its a lack of discipline, a total disregard for others. Look at what those kids did to that poor puppy yesterday? Was in the paper this morning, they doused him in petrol, set him alight and threw him over a wall. The poor person who found him rolling around and squealing in agony had to beat him to death to put him out of his misery. How can we call monsters like this "children" they are NOT children because a child is supposed to be innocent and nobody who does this type of thing is innocent no matter what their age! I tell ya if that was one of my animals I would track those people down and set fire to them it would be worth doing jail for. They probably wont even get a slap on the wrist. Children learn what they live and they saw this type of carry on somewhere when they were growing up. Thirty years ago children were afraid of their teachers, now teachers are afraid of their pupils. We have gone too far the other way. I certainly do not want to grow old in this arse of a country! Sorry but I am just so mad at what happened and I do think aggression in children is on the rise but no it is not caused solely by tv that is ridiculous we need to look at the parents.

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