TELEVISION VIEWING AND VIOLENCE IN CHILDREN - THE PEDIATRICIAN AS AGENT FOR CHANGE

Three decades of research suggest a causal link between exposure of ch ildren to violent images on television and subsequent violent behavior . The epidemic of violence in American society mandates a critical rea ppraisal of the televised images that children see. To slow the cycle of violence, pediatricians can: (1) Help shape parental attitudes towa rd children's viewing habits; (2) lobby for school systems to adopt cu rricula that include critical viewing skills; and (3) work with Congre ss, Federal regulators, television producers, and broadcasters to redu ce the exposure of children to televised violence.