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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

TV Possibly linked to Childhood Aggression

I guess some kids can't handle their cartoons.


TV exposure in three year olds seem to have an increased risk of aggressive behavior. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV for children under 2, although television is the second media most children between 0 and 3 yr olds are exposed to.

This large study included 3,128 children and their parents, in 20 large U.S cities born between 1998 and 2000.

Parents were then interviewed when their child was born, at 1 year and at 3 years. At 3 years, they were also asked about how much TV their child watch as well as the household's average use. Aggression was determined on a 15-item scale. Risk factors and demographic informations were also included.

The results showed about 65% of moms said their 3yr old watched at least 2hrs of TV and was overall exposed to 5.2 hrs of household TV use a day. After accounting for other factors, direct and indirect TV exposure was significantly associated with childhood aggression.

"One explanation that could link both child and household TV measures with aggression involves the parenting environment," the authors write. Households with higher rates of TV use may have fewer restrictions on children's viewing habits such as exposure to unregulated television content. Increased household television use may also affect daily routines such as eating and communication patterns and may decrease time spent on other activities.

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