Violence-its effect on children

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Violence is very wide spread in society today and is growing at an alarming rate among out children Everyday we seem to hear of children beating on one another, ganging up on the elderly, invading homes, and even murdering people. One has to question how much effect different sorts of media have on our children. From the time we are very young we can be expsed to seeing and hearing horrible acts of violence on the television and radio, and through video games. Sadly, I believe this is where it all starts- in the comfort of our own homes. Over and over again children watch violent programs and play video games with the goal of killing others. Eventually many of them find it amusing and enjoyalbe to see others being hurt and killed. Parents, in general, are not protecting their kids from this invasion of media violence. Many children laugh at violence and think it's funny to hurt others. According to David Grosssman, a former psychology professor and author of a Pulitzer-nominated book on the psychology of violence, the most dangerous of all media is that which teaches the child to laugh. " once you get beyond the early age where kids are stunned and mesmerized by TV and can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality, you find they begin to laugh at the violence". If parents care and want to raise kids with good morals, they must do it themselves reather than expecting television and other forms of media entertainment to raise their children for them. Their childrens' exposure to the media should be limited and carefully monitored. This would be a step in the right direction to raising lovig, non-violent children.