Television viewing and violence in children: the pediatrician as agent for change

Three decades of research suggest a causal link between exposure of children to violent images on television and subsequent violent behavior. The epidemic of violence in American society mandates a critical reappraisal of the televised images that children see. To slow the cycle of violence, pediatricians can: (1) Help shape parental attitudes toward children's viewing habits; (2) lobby for school systems to adopt curricula that include critical viewing skills; and (3) work with Congress, Federal regulators, television producers, and broadcasters to reduce the exposure of children to televised violence.