Relation between young people watching violence on TV or playing violent video games and aggressive behaviour

This report discusses the relation between young people watching violence on TV or playing violent video games and aggressive behaviour. It explores the psychological and developmental theories that can be applied in educational settings to moderate their exposure to violence and improve their rational behaviour.

Relation between
young people watching
violence on TV or
playing violent video
games and aggressive
behaviour

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................8

Introduction
With the advancement in technology and increased use of online media by youth and children for
exploring new interests, making friends, finding opportunities for fun learning and development
etc. their exposure towards inappropriate contents like violent video games and violence on TV
has also increased. Studies have proved that this has increased aggressive behaviour among them
leading to their mental fatigue and also inability to think rationally having affected on their
values, beliefs and behaviour (Burman, 2016). It is thus important that psychological and
developmental theories are applied in education and educational settings so that youth can learn
to moderate their exposure to violence on TV or violent video games so that aggression in them
can be lowered. Psychological strategies can also be used so that children can rationally use
technology and media for their learning and development activities and explore their areas of
interests. In this report the psychological and development theories that can be used in
educational settings will be discussed along with psychological strategies so that the exposure of
children towards violence can be lowered thereby improving their rational behaviour.
Main Body
There are several benefits of using technology and media for the learning and
development of children so that they can learn new skills, explore their interest areas, make new
friends, become more creative by the way of gaining information regarding various topics, online
gaming, video editing etc. It is important that the exposure of children to media is controlled so
that they can be prevented from getting more indulged in inappropriate contents like violence on
TV shows, movies or violent video games which affect their mental growth and behaviour. As
children cross their adolescence they become stronger in abstract thinking and making rational
judgements and they also seek for greater independence and responsibility (Coyne and
Stockdale, 2018). It is therefore important that they are given such environment which can help
in increasing positivity in their thought mechanism which makes it important that they are not
exposed to inappropriate content through online media. Education system can play an important
role in modifying the psychology of adolescences so that they can be directed towards right
direction which can help them in becoming successful in their lives. This also helps the society
to progress as the abilities and skills of youth can be used in the development of the society so
that they can efficiently direct their abilities towards national interest.

Psychology is closely related to education as it helps in development of children as per
their capacities, needs and interests and educating them so that their behaviour can be modified
in such a manner that highest benefit can be achieved by children. Development is the series of
age related changes which occur in an individual during their course of life span. Various
theories of development can be applied to understand about the process of human growth and
learning so that effective learning can take place during their growth and they can take more
rational decisions. Following are the important child’s psychological developmental theories that
can be applied in educational settings so that appropriate behaviour can be seen in adolescents:
 Freud’s psychosexual developmental theory: As per this theory during the development
of a child the experiences and unconscious desires of children influence the behaviour of
children which also affect their personality. As per this theory the role of parents in
monitoring and controlling the children’s sexual and aggressive drives is more at the first
few years of their lives (Delbouille, 2019).
 Erikson’s psychosocial developmental theory: As per this theory the social interaction
and conflicts which arise during different stages of development of children affect the
way in which children behave.
 Bowlby’s attachment theory: This theory states that early relations with caregivers play
an important role in the development of a child and also influence social relationships
throughout their lives.
 Bandura’s social learning theory: As per this theory observation play an important role
in the psychological development of a child which means that they learn from the actions
of other and acquire skills and new information by the way of observation.
 Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory: As per this theory children actively construct
knowledge as they explore and manipulate the world around them. Four stages of
development are defined in this theory which is sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage,
concrete operational stage and formal operational stage (Farrington, 2017).
These theories can be applied in educational settings so that the development of children can
be efficiently done and they can learn new skills and talents in an environment that can help in
moulding their behaviour appropriately. This will also help in understanding the reason behind
the change in behaviour of children though their increase in aggressiveness so that their exposure
to online media can be monitored and they can be prevented from indulging in violent TV shows

and playing video games related to violence. These theories can also help in making a perception
regarding the growth and development of children so that they can be surrounded with elements
that can help in their positive development so that their behaviour can be modified effectively.
Monitoring and controlling the exposure of children to the internet so that they can surf for
various information and have fun should be monitored by the parents in early stages so that they
do not fall prey to the content that can affect the behaviour of children negatively (Ferguson,
2018).
Psychological developmental theories also help in promoting mental health and well being of
children as they help in understanding the needs of children and their abilities to gain knowledge
so that their behaviour can be changed effectively. The parents and teachers should pay attention
to the behaviour and mental health of the children so that proper care can be given to them and
also they can be motivated to using their skills and talents effectively The most appropriate
psychological developmental theory that can be used in proper development and growth of
children is Bandura’s social learning theory as this theory help in understanding the impact of
various activities on the mental health of children (González and Marrero-Gordillo, 2016). As
per this theory children learn from the activities they observe in their surroundings so that they
can learn from the behaviour of their parents, other family member and friends which also
influence the way they use online media and get exposed to the content. This theory can help in
gaining knowledge on how a child’s psychology is influenced by their surrounding environment
and also the influence on their behaviour can be evaluated. This will help in creating an
environment which can help in their positive mental health so that they can think rationally on
what is good for them and what is not. Teachers and parents play an essential role in creating the
surrounding environment of children so that they can efficiently use online media and explore
things which can help in their growth and development (Gunter, 2016).
The psychological strategies that can be applied in professional practice with young people
can also help in their positive psychological development and growth and also can help in
motivating them so that positive learning can be achieved. There are various strategies that can
be used in professional practice with young people:
 Positive social support: This relates to positively supporting a person so that they can be
given correct direction in which young people should proceed so that they can move

towards achieving their goals. This also helps in motivating them so that they can think
positively which can help in reducing the aggressive behaviour among them.
 Cognitive reframing: This means supporting psychologically a person who is going
through their bad times by giving them alternatives so that they can think positively and
move forward to achieving positive goals and become rational with their decisions
(Maxwell, 2019).
 Empathic listening: This help in listening to the thoughts, concerns, stresses etc. they are
going through so that they can be given advice regarding how they can lead their lives
positively. It also help in understanding the reason behind their aggressive behaviours so
that appropriate action scan be taken and positive behaviour can be inculcated in them.
 Unconditional positive regard: It refers to accepting and supporting a loved one
regardless of what they have said, done or experienced which can help in building a
positive behaviour among a person so that their behaviour can be made better.
The above strategies can be applied so that youth can be supported through their growth and
development and can be given support so that they can become more efficient in their decisions
and understand how they can use online media for their betterment rather than in getting
indulged in violent TV shows or video games. This also helps in promoting their development
strategically through support and care so that they can understand the way in which appropriate
use of technology can be done (Mayer, Parong and Bainbridge, 2019).
Byron’s theory:
As per this theory with the increased use if internet by all age groups of people it is
important that the exposure of children is regulated so that they do not get involved in
inappropriate content which can negatively affect their growth and development. In order to
ensure effective use if internet by children so that their safety and protection can be ensured it is
important that the parents and teachers pay attention on the amount of time that children spend
online and also the change in their behaviour because of their internet exposure (Messina, 2019).
Close observation can help in determining the impact which is being created by internet on the
behaviour of children. It is also important that the government take strict actions so against
internet usage and the companies that make violent games so that child exposure can be limited
which is important for their positive development and growth. The country government should
also enforce acts that can help in ensuring internet safety. Also the parents should pay attention

to the contents which are being available to their children by the way of safety locks on the
internet that can help in preventing the exposure of children towards inappropriate content. Steps
should be taken so that companies can develop age appropriate gaming so that the children can
be exposed only to the gaming that can help in their learning and development which is
important for their growth (Read and Bazzini, 2016).
Ensuring fun, creativity and development should be the main aim of internet games so
that the people who get exposed to them can be positively affected which is important in
affecting their behaviour so that they can become rational thinkers and use their skills and
abilities in an effective manner. Children and young people should be exposed to internet so that
they can acquire new information and education which is beneficial in their effective
development and growth. Psychological theories can be applied in monitoring the behaviour and
learning of children so that they are given appropriate environment where their learning can be
enhanced and positive behaviour can be inculcated in them (Stroppa, Gomes and Lourenço,
2017). Video games have become an integral part of many people’s lives which can be used in
the mental development of children but it is also necessary that they are monitored so that age
specific games can be made available to the children that can help in reducing the growing
aggression among them. It is also important that internet is used for the learning and information
generation of children so that it can play a critical role in the development of children’s mental
health.
Conclusion
From this report it can be said that it is important to control the internet activities of
children in their early stages of lives so that aggression can be controlled in them and also
internet can be helpful in making them effective in their creative learning and development.
Various psychological theories can also be used so that the psychology of children can be
monitored and they can efficiently use their abilities and become efficient in rational thinking
and taking rational development.

References
Books and Journals
Burman, E., 2016. Deconstructing developmental psychology. Taylor & Francis.
Coyne, S.M., Warburton, W.A., Essig, L.W. and Stockdale, L.A., 2018. Violent video games,
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Delbouille, J., 2019. Videogames in France and Francophone Belgium: discourses and cultural
legitimation. Contemporary French Civilization, 44(1), pp.21-37.
Farrington, D.P. ed., 2017. Integrated developmental and life-course theories of offending.
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Ferguson, C.J., 2018, October. Sex, Lies and Videogames: Why Videogames Still Struggle to
Overcome Moral Panic. In Proceedings of the 2018 Annual Symposium on Computer-
Human Interaction in Play (pp. 1-1).
González, C.S., Gómez, N., Navarro, V., Cairós, M., Quirce, C., Toledo, P. and Marrero-
Gordillo, N., 2016. Learning healthy lifestyles through active videogames, motor games
and the gamification of educational activities. Computers in Human Behavior, 55,
pp.529-551.
Gunter, B., 2016. Is There a Link Between Playing Video Games and Social Violence?. In Does
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Maxwell, J., 2019. Play Fighting: THE REAL-WORLD VIOLENCE OF
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