Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Assessment of Perigenital Sensitivity and Prostatic Mast Cell Activation in a Mouse Model of Neonatal Maternal Separation
Published on: August 13, 2015
Is maternal PTSD associated with greater exposure of very young children to violent media?
Daniel S Schechter1, Anna Gross, Erica Willheim
1Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. daniel.schechter@hcuge.ch
Abstract:
This study examined media viewing by mothers with violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related media exposure of their preschool-age children. Mothers (N = 67) recruited from community pediatric clinics participated in a protocol involving a media-preference survey. Severity of maternal PTSD and dissociation were significantly associated with child exposure to violent media. Family poverty and maternal viewing behavior were also associated. Maternal viewing behavior mediated the effects specifically of maternal PTSD severity on child exposure. Clinicians should assess maternal and child media viewing practices in families with histories of violent trauma exposure and related psychopathology.
Related Concept Videos
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Traumatic Memory
Bullying
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia

