TV and violence new ways of watching

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study conducted with 820 students from the 4th, 6th and 8th grades, with the purpose of testing the hypothesis that enjoyment of TV violence, perception of realism in TV violence and identification with violent characters would mediate the relationship between viewing TV violence and physical aggression. The results suggest that children who take pleasure in viewing TV violence, who identify with violent heroes and who think of TV violence as similar to real life are more likely to be influenced by violence on television. In the discussion of the results, implications of these findings for parents, children, and teachers will be a central focus..