Longitudinal relations between children's exposure to TV violence and their aggressive and violent behavior in young adulthood: 1977-1992.

TLDR

Although TV‑violence exposure has been linked to childhood aggression, few studies have examined its long‑term effects into adulthood, and those that did found significant associations only for boys in the 1960s. This study investigates whether TV‑violence viewing between ages 6 and 10 predicts aggressive behavior about 15 years later in a cohort from the 1970s and 1980s. Using archival data from 450 participants and interview data from 329, the authors assessed whether childhood exposure to media violence predicts young‑adult aggression for both sexes. The analysis showed that exposure to violent TV, along with identification with aggressive characters and perceived realism, predicted later aggression, and these effects remained significant after controlling for socioeconomic status, intellectual ability, and parenting factors.

Abstract

Although the relation between TV-violence viewing and aggression in childhood has been clearly demonstrated, only a few studies have examined this relation from childhood to adulthood, and these studies of children growing up in the 1960s reported significant relations only for boys. The current study examines the longitudinal relations between TV-violence viewing at ages 6 to 10 and adult aggressive behavior about 15 years later for a sample growing up in the 1970s and 1980s. Follow-up archival data (N = 450) and interview data (N = 329) reveal that childhood exposure to media violence predicts young adult aggressive behavior for both males and females. Identification with aggressive TV characters and perceived realism of TV violence also predict later aggression. These relations persist even when the effects of socioeconomic status, intellectual ability, and a variety of parenting factors are controlled.