The Effects Of Television Violence On Childhood Development

How does television violence affect kids? Does it make them more aggressive, more verbally abusive, and less sympathetic to the pain of others? Psychologist L. Rowell Huesmann and several colleagues conducted a fifteen-year longitudinal study of the effects of television violence on 329 children. Their study is published in the March issue of Developmental Psychology. Huesmann and his colleagues made many findings, including the conclusion that violence on television is linked to later aggression in young adults, both male and female. University of Michigan Psychologist and study author L. Rowell Huesmann joins host Larry Mantle to discuss the issue. Also joining Larry is Dale Kunkel, professor of communication at UC Santa Barbara. Professor Kunkel studies the type, and amount, of violence seen on television.