Kids are influenced by aggressive behavior seen on TV, professor says

By Staff Writer

An Oregon-based psychology professor believes that a lot of the bullying behavior among kids is caused by television programming.

In a guest column for OregonLive.com, the professor says that teenagers are impressionable and receive social lessons from television. She adds that many forms of aggression - whether it be physical or relational - is common on TV, and many kids mimic what they see.

Unlike televised physical aggression, which she says is mostly between strangers, relational aggression most often happens between friends and family. She believes that many adolescents think these acts are cool or funny, and that it helps people get their way.

She recommends that parents monitor their children's viewing habits and talk to them about what programming is - or is not - consistent with their family values. As an experiment, she suggests turning off the TV for a week, which may allow children to find healthier, less-aggressive forms of entertainment.

According to the news provider, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television viewing at all for children who are younger than 2 years old.

A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center reveals that approximately 75 percent of adults would like to see tighter enforcement of government rules on broadcast content, The Parents Television Council reports.