Kids Who Witness or Experience Violence More Likely to Be Violent, Study Says

Children who witness violence often think it is normal, a development that can lead to violent behavior, says a new study in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.
The researchers, who surveyed 800 children between the ages of 8 and 12, asked the children if they had witnessed violence on television, at home or at school.  Six months later they were polled a second time.  Children who said they had witnessed violence were aggressive, according to the study.
“People exposed to a heavy diet of violence come to believe that aggression is a normal way to solve conflict and get what you want in life,” the study’s authors wrote.  “These beliefs lower their inhibitions against aggression against others.”
The full study is available by subscription only, but you can read more at ScienceDaily.

The post above is reprinted with permission from the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, supported by the Center for Sustainable Journalism at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. 

 
 Ryan Schill is a reporter for the Georgia-based Juvenile Justice Information Exchange. 
 
 
 Photo at top: anna gutermuth.