Psychological Effects of Violence Shown in Media Content on Children: A Study of Parents’ Perception

1. INTRODUCTION

Children start consuming media content during their infancy; this is even before they can understand such content as being a mere fantasy or a media persuasion. Childhood is the most sensitive, innocent, and significant stage of anyone’s life (Abbas, 2017). That is why they believe what they see as the actual reality. They imitate the behaviors of aggressive television characters because in their perception media is real. Social psychologists define aggression as ‘Any behaviour that is activated by the intent to cause pain on another person who does not want to experience the feeling’. Intensified aggression learnt through media in childhood pilots the way to loss of social network, law violation/legal trouble, troubled parent-child relationship, self-harm, troubled thinking, trouble with concentration and attention impaired judgment, trouble with language comprehension and reading, threatening behaviour, as well as emotional trauma and depression (Abbas et al., 2024).

The cultivation scholarship including (Hussain, 2022) defined media violence as portrayal of physical assaults known by one human or human-like figure on the other. Violence that is portrayed in fictions or animations is also referred as to violence. In the present era, on one hand, there has been a notable increase in violent programs and movies being shown on the television. The American organization, that is, Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) claims that 52% of video games are either violent, simulate gambling, and use coarse humor as well as obscene language. On the other hand, there is proved significant imitation of violence, augmented fear, diminished sensitivity to violent stimuli, both a short-term and long-term raise in aggressiveness, and elevated likelihood of the acceptance of violence by the child (Hussain, 2015). Nowadays, children have an easy access to various forms of media including television, video games, movies, and the Internet, most of which contains violent content. Watching violent and aggressive imagery and themes in movies, games, and other content available on social media platforms could negatively influence children’s behaviour. This often results in emotional problems, increased aggressiveness, and desensitization to violence. Media has become an integral part of our society and the consumption of violent content has become trendy, especially among the children of today’s generation (Bushman & Huesmann, 2014). Several studies have explored why content creators produce violent material. Additionally, a substantial body of scholarship has measured the effects of violence depicted in video games, movies, television, music, and the Internet.

Video games are particularly popular among the youth. Research shows that 97% of the American children aged between 2 and 17 play video games (Lenhart et al., 2010). Boys are especially drawn to violent video games, which often portray graphic content and require aggressive responses towards certain characters (Bartholow et al., 2006). On the other hand, movie and television violence typically involves the depictions of physical assault, threats, and the use of weapons (Huesmann & Taylor, 2006).

Television has long been a source of violent content. Steinfeld (1973) reported that, by the age of 12, an average child would have watched 10,100 violent episodes including 13,400 death scenes. This figure has only increased with time. According to the Anderson et al. (2017), children are exposed to 200,000 violent acts and 16,000 murders on television by the age of 18, encompassing violence in films, computer games, and television programs. This extensive exposure has been linked to heightened levels of aggressiveness and desensitization to violence among children.

Prevalence of Violence in Media Content

Violent content available for children through media has been steadily increasing (Hassan et al., 2022). The Media Violence Commission of the International Communications Association found that the index of media violence has risen consistently over the past 40 years (Paik & Comstock, 1994). Bock (2012) further revealed that most children spend an average of 4 hours daily watching violent television programs. The rise of social media platform to share and consume violent content further exacerbates the issue, fueling violence within and outside online communities.

Certain types of programming have been shown to correlate with increased aggressive attitudes and behaviors among youth. Huesmann and Kirwil (2007) conducted a study demonstrating that media violence has both short- and long-term effects on aggression. Continuous exposure to violent content reduces sensitivity towards violence and lowers empathetic responses to violent events (Bushman et al., 2016).

Children who witness violence often experience negative emotions as one of its many adverse effects. Kirwil (2015) found that children exposed to violent media have higher levels of emotional distress as compared to those with lower exposure. This distress may result from fears of actual harm, stress, and anxieties, potentially leading towards post-traumatic stress symptoms (Dahan et al., 2024). Exposure to violent media has been linked to academic underperformance. Griffiths (1999) found that violent video game use negatively impacts children’s reading and math performances, as time spent on these games replaces the time allocated for constructive activities. Funk et al. (2006) supported this finding, noting that such a displacement of time contributes to declining academic achievement.

The influence of media violence extends beyond academics to social interactions. Christakis (2009) suggested a connection between exposure to television violence and aggressive social behaviors, such as bullying. This may hinder children’s social development by impairing their ability to interact cooperatively with peers. Grimes et al. (2018) reviewed 27 studies and determined that long-term exposure to violent video games results in reduced empathy, heightened aggression, and impaired cooperative behaviour. This suggests the need for further research into the long-term social consequences of violent content.

The psychological consequences of violent media exposure are significant. Anderson and Dill (2000) found that violent video game use correlates with increased depression and anxiety among teenagers, mediated by feelings of fear and sadness. Gastaldi et al. (2024) also linked violent television programs to heightened anxiety and fear among children, especially when the content resembles real-life violence. Thompson, (2018) substantiated that playing violent video games induces physiological arousal and may lead towards PTSD-like symptoms, particularly among children with pre-existing mental health conditions.

Various factors moderate the relationship between violent media exposure and its effects on children. Krahé et al. (2011) identified age, gender, family dynamics, and individual traits as critical moderating variables in this connection. Hopwood & Schutte, (2017) explored cognitive and physiological responses to violent content, emphasizing that these mechanisms could inform prevention strategies and interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of media violence.

Media violence has profound effects on children’s emotional well-being, academic performance, and social development. While its impacts are multifaceted, the consistent findings of increased aggression, desensitization, and psychological distress highlight the urgent need for preventive measures and further research. Addressing moderating factors and fostering awareness of media consumption patterns may aid to minimize the harmful influence of violent content on children (Rehman et al., 2024).

H1: Higher level of exposure to violent media content significantly increases children's tendency to exhibit aggressive behavior in their daily interactions.

H2: Exposure to violent media content leads towards greater emotional desensitization to violence in real-life situations.

H3: Higher level of exposure to violent media content leads towards children's disassociation from their cultural norms, values, and social relationships.

Methodology

The research design used for this study sought to establish parents’ perceptions on the effects of violent media on children’s thoughts and actions. The study intended to develop a better comprehension of perceived media violence on children; parents, educators, and policymakers would have the knowledge on how to best address, interfere, and reduce the alleged adverse effects of media violence on children. For this purpose, researchers collected the data from parents based on their observations regarding the effects of violent media content on children, using a structured survey questionnaire.

Convenience sampling as a non-probability sampling technique was used to identify 300 parents of children aged between 3-12 years. Parents were accessed from Islamabad through different social media groups. The survey tool applied in this research was structured questionnaire containing both closed and open-ended questions. This instrument assesses the parents’ attitude towards the effects of violent media content on children’s thinking-feeling-doing and acting in their everyday life. It also evaluates parents’ approach to minimizing the potential effects of media violence on their children. The items of the questionnaire were developed to be valid and reliable based on previous researches. Afterwards, the questionnaire was administered through an online survey.

Data collected in the responses was analyzed statistically using SPSS. Descriptive statistics was applied to explore the frequent counts, mean, and standard deviation in order to present the collected data, while inferential statistics included correlation. Linear regression was applied to test the relationships between parents’ perceptions and children’s age groups or other demographic variables. Additionally, non-numerical data from open-ended questions was analyzed based on the pattern to come up with themes that are likely to prevail in parents’ attitudes.

Results

The first part of this chapter displays study findings together with research results beginning with SPSS normality test assessments for data distribution. The normality table below verifies that data follows a normal distribution pattern. Results from the normality test confirmed parametric analysis as suitable for upcoming stages of research. The research outcome presentation includes correlation and regression results that analyze variable relations after the normality assessment section.

Table 1. Tests of Normality

Table above reflects two tests for normality: Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Shapiro-Wilk test. These tests were conducted on the data regarding the exposure of children to violent content shown on media and other aspects of its impact on their conduct, feelings, and perceptions of cultural references. Kolmogorov-Smirnov Statistic (K-S Statistic) measures the probability distribution of a sample and the assumed or expected probability distribution under the null hypothesis of normality. The values given in the table are statistically larger, that stand for a better rejection of null hypothesis, in other words better model validation. In Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Shapiro-Wilk test, (p-value = 0.000) and a smaller p-value means that the evidence against the null hypothesis is high. This, in other words, means that the probability to observe current distribution of data is less likely to be normal. The test shows that data is not normally distributed, which leads to the parametric tests for further analysis.

H1: Higher level of exposure to violent media content significantly increases children's tendency to exhibit aggressive behaviour in their daily interactions.

Table 2. Descriptive Statistics

Table provides descriptive statistics about three variables: number of kids in a family, the time a child consumes violent media content, and the rate of children who demonstrate violent behavior once exposed to violent media content. The mean value of kids in a family is 1.74, which means per average respondents of this question have two kids. Standard deviation of kids in a family is 0.629, which implies that the values are closer to the identified mean. Speaking of the coefficient of variation, the letter .629 means that when it comes to the number of kids in families, the variation is slightly deviated around the mean.

The mean value of time spent on violent media content is 2.46. This means that every child on average takes approximately 3 hours in a day viewing and listening to violent messages on media. The standard deviation of time spent on violent media content is 0.835. This indicates a fairly equal distribution around the mean with respect to time spent on violent media content and the variation is slightly deviated around the mean.

The mean value of children exhibiting violent behaviour due to exposure to violent media content is 4.02. This shows that parents agree that children exhibit violent behaviour after viewing or consuming violent content on media. The standard deviation of children’s percentage exhibiting violent behaviour is 1.023. This shows that the percentage of children displaying violent behaviour is normally distributed around the mean and the variation is slightly deviated around the mean.

Table 3. Correlations

After running the correlation test on three variables, the number of kids a participant has, the hours that a participant’s child spends in consuming violent content, and the violent behaviour a participant’s child exhibits after consuming violent media content, the results are as follows.

The consumption of violent media content and aggressive behavioral outcomes are positively related. This implies that the more time a child spends consuming violent content media the higher the chances of the child displaying violent behaviour after consuming violent media content (r = .443, p = .001).

The results of correlation table show that there is a positively strong and highly significant correlation between the exposure to violent media content consumption and exhibiting aggressive behaviour among young children. It supports my hypothesis and rejects null hypothesis.

H2: Exposure to violent media content leads towards greater emotional desensitization to violence in real-life situations.

Table 4. Descriptive Statistics

Table above provides descriptive statistics about three variables. These include the number of kids in a family, the time a child consumes violent media content, and children being less sensitive about violence in their real-life as a result of exposure to violent media content, such as violence in games, cartoons, and films. The mean value of kids in a family is 1.74, which means per average respondents of this question have two kids. The standard deviation of kids in a family is 0.629, which implies that the values are closer to the identified mean. Speaking of the coefficient of variation, the letter .629 means that when it comes to the number of kids in families, the variation is slightly deviated around the mean.

The mean value of time spent on violent media content is 2.46. This means every child on average takes around 3 hours in a day consuming violent messages on the media. The standard deviation of time spent on violent media content is 0.835. This indicates a fairly equal distribution around the mean with respect to time spent on violent media content and the variation is slightly deviated around the mean.

The mean value of children being less sensitive about violence in their real-life as a result of exposure to violent media content, such as violence in games, cartoons, and films is 3.80. This shows parents agree that children are less sensitive to the real-life violence after consuming violent content on media. The standard deviation of children being less sensitive about violence in their real-life as a result of exposure to violent media content, for instance, violence in games, cartoons, and films is 1.103. It shows that the percentage of children who are less sensitive to the real-life violence is normally distributed around the mean and the variation is slightly deviated around the mean.

Table 5. Correlations

After running the correlation test on three variables, the number of kids a participant has, the hours that a participant’s child spends in consuming violent content, and children being less sensitive about violence in their real-life as a result of exposure to violent media content, such as violence in games, cartoons, and films, the results are as follows.

The correlation between how much time a child spends to consume violent media content and children who are less sensitive about violence in their real-life according to the above table is (r=.475 and p-value=.003). It shows that there is positively strong and significant correlation between independent and dependent variables. It supports the hypothesis that exposure to violent media contents leads towards desensitization about violence in real-life among children.

H3: Higher level of exposure to violent media content leads towards children's disassociation from their cultural norms, values, and social relationships.

Table 6. Descriptive Statistics

Table provides descriptive statistics about three variables: the number of kids in a family, the time a child consumes violent media content, and children after exposure to violent media content are disassociated from their cultural norms, values, and social relationships. The mean value of kids in a family is 1.74 which means that per average respondents of this question have two kids. Standard deviation of kids in a family is 0.629, which implies that the values are closer to the identified mean. Speaking of the coefficient of variation, the letter .629 means that when it comes to the number of kids in families, the variation is slightly deviated around the mean.

The mean value of time spent on violent media content is 2.46. This means every child on average takes around 3 hours in a day consuming violent messages on the media. The standard deviation of time spent on violent media content is 0.835, which indicates a fairly equal distribution around the mean with respect to time spent on violent media content and the variation is slightly deviated around the mean.

The mean value of children after exposure to violent media content who are disassociated from their cultural norms, values, and social relationships is 4.12. It means that the average respondents are those who strongly agree with the statement and are of the view that children disconnect themselves from their native culture after exposure to violent media content. The standard deviation value 1.078 means that the variation is slightly deviated around the mean.

Table 7. Correlations

After running the correlation test on three variables, the number of kids a participant has, the hours that a participant’s child spends in consuming violent media content, and children after exposure to violence in media content are disassociated from their cultural norms, values, and social relationships, the results are as follows.

According to the table above, the correlation between how much time children spend in consuming violent media content and children after exposure to violence in media content are disassociated from their cultural norms and values, is (r=.621 and p-value=.000). This shows that there is positively strong and significant correlation between independent and dependent variable. Data proves that children having higher exposure to violent media content are disassociated from their own culture. It proves my hypothesis and rejects null hypothesis.

Table 8. Model Summary

The model summary provides a clear understanding of the performance of regression model. This emphasizes the difference between the independent variable which measures the time children spend consuming violent media and the dependent variable that measures children who display violent behaviour. The results indicate a fair level of relationship between the time that children spend using violent media content and the level of violence they exhibit, with the predictor variable, R = 0.544, explaining 63.2% of the variance. However, the adjusted R² of 0.051 raises the content of generality of the model to other groups. This decline of R² from its adjusted form alludes to the fact that even though the given relationship is highly significant in this analysis, it may not be insignificantly different between samples or populations. The null hypothesis is rejected because the model is statistically significant at the 0.003 level. Therefore, it asserts that exposure to violent media content affects children negatively. However, other variables not captured in the above model contribute to the remaining variance of the outcome variable.

Table 9. ANOVA

The ANOVA table shows that the regression model is significant, and the predictor variable (violent media consumption time) is a significant contributor to variance in the violent behaviour of children.

Table 10. Coefficients

The coefficients table provides detailed insights into the regression analysis for the dependent variable: “Kids become violent in their actions and imitate violence seen in media productions”.

The value of Beta coefficient (B = 0.254) implies that the time a child spends on consuming violent media content (such as games, cartoons or films) the probability of violent behaviour is 0.254 units more when other factors affecting violent behaviour are controlled. The partial coefficient value (Beta=0.443) indicates that there is a relatively moderate to high correlation between the amount of time spent on violent media and violent outcomes. t = 7.63, p = 0.003, The t-statistic (t=7.63, p=0.003) calculated in this study is higher than the t-value at 0.05 significance level. Due to this, the calculated p = 0.000 < α = 0.05, implying that violent media consumption leads to violent behaviour. This verifies that the independent variable is a valid determinant of the dependent variable.

Zero-order correlation (0.544) shows a moderate positive correlation between the violent media exposure and violent behaviour since other variables have been assumed. Partial and part correlations (both 0.744), when other independent variables have been partially controlled, are equally strong, suggesting the consistency of the effect of violent media content on violent behaviour. The value of constant (4.150) was established as the control level of violent behaviour (on average), when the participants did not spend time consuming violent media content.

This P-P plot evaluates the normality of the regression standardized residuals for the dependent variable: ‘After watching violent media content, such as games and cartoons or even films, children tend to manifest violent behaviour’. The data points lie very close to the diagonal line which implies that the residuals are normally distributed. This fulfills the assumption made for regression analysis that the residuals follow a normal distribution. There is very little variation at the lower and upper end of the plot, which means that outliners or extreme values influencing normality of the data are negligible.

Figure 2 Regression Standardized Residuals for Dependent Variable 2

This histogram depicts the distribution of regression standardized residuals for the dependent variable: television games, cartoons, and films make children become violent in their conduct. It is important to note that the shape of the residuals seem to be bell-shaped, as defined by the normal curve fitted. This leads to the inference that normality of residuals, which is a prerequisite for the use of regression analysis, has been achieved. The residuals give an estimate of 0 which means that the predicted values are in line with the observed values. The mean of the residuals can also be close to 0 (equals 3.95E-16) as well as its variability may also be close to 1 (equals 0.998). This indicates the good fit of the mode. The first thing to be noticed here is the sample size of 300, which is more than adequate to create a feasible histogram for analysis.

Discussion

The current study attempted to determine how violent media content influences children in terms of behavioral changes and sensitivity to violence besides their degree of conformity to cultural beliefs and practices. The findings showed a significant correlation between the amount of time a child spends to watch or listen to violent media content and the propensity to act aggressively (Pearson’s coefficient correlation r = 0.443, p < 0.001). This is an implication that enhanced media violence production increases the likelihood of a children displaying violent behavior. The relative strength of this relationship has made researchers more aware of the negative effect of violent media in the social psychological competence of children. These results are consistent with prior empirical research in media psychology referring to media violence effects, which suggests that violence exposure leads to increased aggression among children as a learned response (Kirwil, 2015).

The findings showed that a positive, strong, and significant relationship was obtained for the level of desensitization to real-life violent media content with the time spent in consuming violent media content (r = 0.475, p = 0.003). This implies that when children have access to violent media, they desensitize themselves with violence in their daily life. These results support the hypothesis presented at the beginning of the study: violent media content desensitizes children to violent actions, eliciting a decrease in effective emotions including empathy and moral concern in real-world situations. Such desensitization may have important social repercussions, according to Lenhart et al. (2010). Resultantly, social distance to violence becomes stronger, reactions to real-life aggression are less severe, and moral sense in children is weakened.

The highest significant relationship was found between the time spent in consuming violent media content and emotional isolation of children from cultural, valuational, and relational contexts (r = 0.621, p = 0.000). Such a highly significant and more robust positive relationship shows that desensitizing children via the flow of violent media content impacts their relationship with cultural self-identity and interpersonal relationships significantly. Hypersensitivity as well as development of behaviors and attitudes incongruent to their culture could lead towards a collapse of family and social structure among youths’ exposure to violent media (Bushman & Huesmann, 2014). Findings indicate that media content may become a means for cultural intervention, which recalibrates the child’s understanding of what is acceptable as a behaviour and his/her ability to engage with the immediate community.

Conclusion

The current study aimed to analyze the psychological effects of children’s consumption of violent media on their behaviour, desensitization towards real-life violence, and internalization of cultural norms and values. The results showed strong and statistically significant correlations, emphasizing the negative effects of exposure to violent media on children. The study found a statistically significant and positive correlation between the amount of time spent on children watching violent media content and the probability of children developing aggressive behaviour. This confirms that increasing violent media exposure correlates with elevated aggression and thus, re-affirms the theory that violence contributes to learned aggression among children.

The second objective of this study was to measure the relationship between exposure to violent media content and desensitization about violence in real-life activities. The analysis indicated a significant relationship between violence in media and desensitization of children to real-life violence. Children who consume more violent content would show less emotions when confronted with acts of violence. This means that constant exposure to such content desensitizes them to violence and normalizes aggression while reducing the capacity to feel empathy.

The third objective of this study was to measure the relationship between exposure to violent media content and disassociation of children from their own cultural norms and values. The findings demonstrate that repeated long-term exposure to violent media content has a strong association with a disassociation from culture, values, and social relationships. These findings demonstrate that violent media may undermine children’s cultural identity, destroying their bond with traditional values and reducing their connection with their peers.

This founds the support of study hypotheses and the rejection of null hypotheses and shows that exposure to violent media is an important component in the development of maladaptive social and behavioral outcomes among children. Parents are strongly advocated to closely monitor the media exposed to their children and find practical approaches to discuss the negative impact of media that often causes aggression among them. This study provided an important contribution to the discussion surrounding media psychology and child development, highlighting the role of society in creating a safer media landscape for children.

Recommendations

The study provided parents with information on how they may control their children’s time when watching violent media. Parental monitoring in this regard is very important

Furthermore, the study informed children as well as parents concerning the possible negative impacts of consuming violent media content and encouraged the appropriate use of media. State and educational institutions should incorporate media literacy in education to protect children’s psychological development from a permanent harm.

The study promoted the development of attitudes regarding radical changes in the rules concerning the exhibiting of violence in programs, videos, computer games, and movies to children to reduce their impacts. State regulatory departments should regulate and activate the media content through censor board or such other bodies.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors of the manuscript have no financial or non-financial conflict of interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data associated with this study will be provided by the corresponding author upon request.

FUNDING DETAILS

No funding has been received for this research.