Media Violence and Aggressive Behavior in Children: A Review
This paper presents a public health-oriented literature review examining whether exposure to violence in media contributes to aggressive and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. Drawing on studies accessed through PsychINFO and EBSCOhost databases from the past five years, the review synthesizes findings from multiple empirical studies and meta-analyses conducted across different countries, including Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. The paper considers the effects of television, video games, and film on children's aggression, socialization, and emotional well-being, then proposes solutions involving regulatory reform, parental involvement, teacher intervention, and counseling programs. Future research directions—particularly regarding gender differences and the role of substance use—are also discussed.
- Introduction: Media violence prevalence and effects on impressionable children
- Literature Review: Empirical studies linking media violence to aggression
- Methodology: Database search strategy and inclusion criteria
- Discussion of Possible Solutions: Regulatory, parental, teacher, and counseling interventions
- Suggested Future Research: Gaps in research on gender and substance use
- Conclusion: Summary of findings and call for regulation
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What makes this paper effective
- Synthesizes multiple empirical studies and meta-analyses from different countries, giving the review international scope and comparative depth.
- Balances conflicting evidence — for example, citing Ferguson (2015) alongside Bushman et al. (2015) — rather than presenting a one-sided argument.
- Moves logically from evidence to practical solutions, addressing stakeholders (government regulators, teachers, parents, counselors) in a structured way.
- Maintains a clear public health framing throughout, keeping the policy implications grounded in the reviewed research.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates systematic literature synthesis: the author explains the database sources, search terms, and inclusion criteria used to select studies, lending transparency and methodological credibility to what is otherwise a narrative review. This technique shows readers how evidence was gathered and evaluated, a hallmark of graduate-level research writing.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an introduction establishing the scope and public health rationale, followed by a literature review section that walks through individual studies chronologically and thematically. A brief methodology section explains the database search strategy. The discussion section pivots to solutions across regulatory, educational, parental, and counseling domains. A forward-looking section on future research precedes a concise conclusion that restates the paper's core findings.
Introduction
In this day and age, the media is part and parcel of most people's lives, such that there is an interaction with media in different forms each day. People access media for many reasons, some of which are to gather information, to be entertained, and to advance their education. In today's media, violence has become a common feature, raising fears about the impact this might have. This issue is prevalent all around the world and has been accessed by people of all ages, races, and religions. Questions have been raised as to the effect this violence has had and will have on the viewer (Hinkley, et al., 2014). Media can be accessed in various forms, including television, radio, films, games, and the internet. All of these mediums have the potential to affect people's lives, their perception of life, their attitudes, and even their principles. When it comes to children, who are impressionable, the effects can go even further, affecting them mentally and physically.
Children in their teenage years, when exposed to violence in the media, become less sensitive to it and may perceive it as a normal way in which issues are resolved. Kirsh (2012) supports this view, stating that regular interaction with violence in the media accustoms a person to it, so that it becomes one of the accepted forms of resolving challenges and attaining objectives. The glamour attached to the use of weapons, and its association with supremacy in films and music videos, can cause the audience not only to see this as normal, but also to desire it. Hinkley, et al. (2014) state that media has been perceived to have replaced teachers and parents as the primary source shaping a young person's life. Media has taken over, and the values and behavior of young people can be seen to mirror those of media personalities or characters viewed in movies. Young people are seen to display the behavior of actors in soap operas — evident in the hairstyles they choose, the clothes they wear, and even how they speak and behave. Some behaviors adopted are undesirable, such as wearing inappropriate clothing and taking illegal drugs.
This review, from a public health point of view, aims to examine the available research on the impact that media violence has on young people. Literature available through PsychINFO and EBSCOhost is discussed, focusing on research conducted in the last five years.
References
Bushman, B. J., Gollwitzer, M., & Cruz, C. (2015). There is broad consensus: Media researchers agree that violent media increase aggression in children, and pediatricians and parents concur. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 4, 200–214. doi:10.1037/ppm0000046
Ferguson, C. J. (2015). Does media violence predict societal violence? It depends on what you look at and when. Journal of Communication, 65, E1–E22. doi:10.1111/jcom.12129
Ferguson, C. J., Olson, C. K., Kutner, L. A., & Warner, D. E. (2014). Violent video games, catharsis seeking, bullying, and delinquency: A multivariate analysis of effects. Crime & Delinquency, 60, 764–784. doi:10.1177/0011128710362201
Greitemeyer, T., & Mugge, D. O. (2014). Video games do affect social outcomes: A meta-analytic review of the effects of violent and prosocial video game play. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 40, 578–589. doi:10.1177/0146167213520459
Hinkley, T., Verbestel, V., Ahrens, W., Lissner, L., Molnar, D., & Moreno, L. A. (2014). Early childhood electronic media use as a predictor of poorer well-being: A prospective cohort study. JAMA Pediatrics, 168, 485–492.
Kirsh, S. J. (2012). Children, adolescents, and media violence: A critical look at the research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Krahe, B., Busching, R., & Moller, I. (2013). Media violence use and aggression among German adolescents: Associations and trajectories of change in a three-wave longitudinal study. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 1, 152–166. doi:10.1037/a0028663
Ojewola, F. O. (2014). The influence of media violence on aggressive behaviour among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ogbomosho, Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education, 4(5), 49–53.
Yousef, S., Eapen, V., Zoubeidi, T., & Mabrouk, A. (2014). Behavioral correlation with television watching and video game playing among children in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 18, 203–207.
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