The unexpected results of a new study reveal that showing children graphic images of violence makes them less?not more?aggressive.
Alison McCook writes, “After seeing pictures of people treated for gunshot wounds, including a man whose stomach was ripped apart by a bullet and a woman who lost her 8-month old fetus when she was shot in the abdomen, children and teens demonstrated an improvement in their attitudes toward conflict and aggression.”
Dr. Edward E. Cornwell thinks that that violent behavior among teens and children may be due to the fact that they are often surrounded by media that “minimize the consequences of violence.” As an example, he describes a rap video that shows a singer being shot, who later appears unhurt. From earliest childhood, kids see cartoon characters get beat up and remain unscathed. To counteract this, he’s creating a public service announcement that shows real images of gunshot wounds. After he showed it to kids between the ages of 7 and 17, he noticed a significant decrease in their aggressive tendencies.
Chase your kids away from those violent cartoons and give them a good book, especially one that teaches them how to be lucky!
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