Despite Monitoring, Kids See Violent TV

More than half of all parents say they always limit what their children see on TV, but almost three-quarters admit their children still see televised violence at least once a week, a Johns Hopkins Children's Center researcher says.

According to the study of 677 families with children up to 21 years old, families made up of younger children and mothers most often limited exposure to television violence such as physical fighting, shootings and stabbings.

"Viewing of violence on television has been associated in many previous studies with aggressive behavior, and many child health professionals recommend limiting children's exposure to it," says lead author Tina L. Cheng.

"However, that is easier said than done," added Cheng.

While not specifically addressed by the study, Cheng suggested that access to television outside the home, such as in day care or at a friend's home, as well as TV sets in children's bedrooms, may account for some of the disapproved viewing.

In the study, 45 percent of parents whose children watch television reported usually or always watching television with their child. However, the study also revealed that as the child's age increased, there was an increase in the reported amount of violent television viewed and a decrease in monitoring by parents.

Cheng suggested that parents follow guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which call for limiting all media use to no more than two hours per day, watching television with their children, removing television sets from children's bedrooms, and monitoring all media exposure, including video games and movies.

The survey, conducted on those who visited pediatricians' offices, included questions on child-rearing attitudes and practices, lifestyle and demographic information. More than half of all respondents were African-American, and the majority of the parents participating were mothers.

The work appears in the July issue of Pediatrics.