Influence Of Violent Television Programme On The Aggressive Behaviour Of Children In Public Primary School
Chapters: 1-5 | Type: Project
Abstract
This study was carried out to examine the Influence of Violent Television Programme on the Aggressive Behaviour of Children in Public Primary School in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State. Specifically, the study figured out why people make Violent Television Programme, determine the harmful consequences of viewing Violent Television Programme on youths, learn more about how Violent Television Programme influence Youth"s Aggressive Behaviour and provide recommendations for reducing the harmful impact of Violent Television Programme on Nigerian Youths. The study employed the survey descriptive research design. Questionnaire was used for data collection which was raised against a four Likert scale of Strongly Agree(SA), Agree(A), Strongly Disagree(SD) and Disagree(D). A total of 97 respondents were purposively selected as sample size comprising of primary school pupils from six selected communities in Owerri Metropolis. Out of the 97 respondents, 70 responses were validated from the survey. The study adopted the Intra-individual theories From the responses obtained and analyzed, the findings revealed that violent film affects the behaviour of Nigeria Youth. This implies that unrestricted access to Violent Television Programme has the ability to influence the behaviour of Nigerian Youth because they are powerful and influential agent. The findings of this study indicated that there are negative effects associated with watching Violent Television Programme on youths. More so, the study revealed that there are several negative effects associated with watching Violent Television Programme on youths, among them include; practice of rape, addiction to nudity, engaging in theft, practice of wayward pattern of dressing, practising alcoholism, engaging in prostitution, engagement in criminal acts, interest in bloody fight, interest in practising cultism, desensitization to violence, increased fear of being victimized by violence. The study also disclosed that there are various ways in which the negative effect caused by Violent Television Programme on Nigerian children can be controlled and among include; by parent been involved in what their children watch on the television, by putting a password on stations that shows Violent Television Programme, by limiting and censoring what children can watch on the television, by allowing them to be supervised by an adults, not having assess to the television. Lastly the study made it clear that there are reasons behind the production of Violent Television Programme. With respect to the findings and conclusions of this study, it was therefore recommended that parents should try to explain the true consequences of violence, and point out how unrealistic it is for children to get away with violent behavior, parents should not let their Youth spend too much time on violence movies as the more time they spend immersed in violent content, the greater its impact and influence. And parents should Check out ratings, and, when there are none, find out about content. For example, content in a 1992 R-rated movie is now acceptable for a PG-13. Streaming online videos aren"t rated and can showcase very brutal stuff.
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
The social development of children has been of major concern to a number of people. It is generally accepted that children learn better through imitation of what they see or hear. The television is one of the most popular medium of communication not only in Nigeria, but also in other parts of the world. Since its introduction in 1959 into Nigeria, it has become a well-liked leisure time activity, reorganizing our patterns of leisure behaviour. For most Nigerians, the television is a medium of education, information gathering, comfort and relaxation. The television is also seen as a dominating powerful drug on the minds of children, as a rather conveyer of cultural beliefs, attitudes and values, that is homogenizing our society and a socializing agent.
The television, apart from providing entertainment for children, has impact on children"s learning both in school and out of school. Since the television is seen as a powerful teaching tool, the effect of its violent programmes on children"s behaviour need to be investigated and curbed. Television has been criticized of showing foreign films and programames which glory in the propagation of the culture of violence and immorality. Thus brutalizing the highly impressionate minds of our children. It has also been discovered that even the local films have nothing to show other than violence, ritual killings and murder.
It is undisputable that television influence behaviour either directly or indirectly. The effect of televised violence on the aggressive behaviour of children cannot be over emphasized. These children are in a sensitive period, during which they are particularly susceptible to the influence of television violence (Huesmann and Eron, 1986).
Furthermore, due to the fact that children spend so much time watching television and since viewing an aggressive model can influence aggression, it follows that watching aggression on television can foster aggressive impulses among children. Through watching televised aggression, the child may learn techniques of aggression, become emotionally aroused, learn that aggression is acceptable, become accustomed to viewing violence and so on.
It has been reported that across all channels of television violence contributes to the learning of aggressive behaviour and attitudes (Idiaghon, 1984, Levine, 1996 and Seawell, 1998). It can also contribute to fearful or pessimistic attitudes in children about the non-television world as well as desensitize children to real-world or fantasy violence (Levine, 1996).
The fact that heavy exposure to televised violence is one of the major causes of aggressive behaviour, crime and violence in the society. The society has become an unsafe place to live in and people are afraid of anything at night (Dada, 1983). Statistics show that the incidence of spectacular crime shown on television seems to be related to incidence of similar real crimes (Siegel, 1970); violence on television is made more acceptable to children, because of the manner it is portrayed on television programmes. It is shown as the great adventure, means to achieving one"s goals and he who is best at it wins (Liebert, Neale and Davidson, 1973).
All that has been discussed so far together with the fact that most of what children watch on television is intended for older viewers made the situation quite serious and should be studied. The television as a popular medium of communication has received worldwide criticism for its role in the life of its audience especially children. Even in Nigeria, it has faced a spate of criticism, because often films that are categorized for adults viewing and those of others that are restricted or not for children still find their way to the screen. The world of television is a world of make-belief. Even it seems impossible for programmes makers to completely eliminate violence and horror on the screen, it does not mean that there should be no discretion in the presentation of such programmes.
Since the average adult spends more than three hours a day watching television and most children watch at least two hours per day, both adults and children are exposed to a lot of violence (Lyle and Hoffman 1972, Roper 1975). For children, the content of television is so different from anything in his life, experience, that he has no countervailing sources of information. His own intelligence is still developing and unequal to the task of assessing and evaluating what he sees on television. They do not distinguish between realities and make-belief that Television violence is realistic, their aggressive behaviour and the amount of violent television and the amount of violence they see (Huesmann and Eron, 1986). Against this background, there is need to go deeper into the study of the effect of television violence on the aggressive behaviour of children.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Nowadays children are different in some ways from children of the previous generation. This is very obvious by the standard of aggression they display. They resort to violence to solve their problems. They are growing up to behave like animals ready to attack and bite at the least provocation, hence the heartless destruction of lives and properties (Bandura & Ross, 1963). In most television movies, programme violence are always involved. The fiction programmes on television require a crime, murder of fist fight to develop a plot and story.
Some of the Television stations in Nigeria are not left out in the showing of Violent Television Programme, commonly shown at nights. Some are also guilty of showing Violent Television Programme during broad daylight for example martial law on STV showed someone being thrown from a ten storey building and did not die. It also showed people fighting with jigar, sledge hammer and other dangerous weapons" on a construction site (May 29, 2008 2.10pm). This is damaging to children"s growing mind. This is due to the fact that watching television has become number one leisure activity among children and adults (Leslie 1951). Such that children are exposed to its violent programme throughout their childhood.
It is pertinent to note that even though television violence makes children aggressive, there are characteristics of children that will determine the extent of this influence in them. These are age, sex, amount of television watched, identification with a television personality, belief that television is realistic and also for academic achievement. (Smith, 1993; Permenton, 1994, Crump, 1995, Reglin, 1996). This study seeks to investigate the relationship between violent programme on the television and aggressive tendencies by primary school children.
1.3 Objective of the Study
For Nigerian educational planners to make use of the results of researches carried out in most advanced countries on the influence of violent television programme on the aggressive behaviour of children will be hazardous because our environment was not considered while such researches were being carried out. This particular study seeks to provide a quantitative research to consolidate the diverse studies within the research domain of televised violence in relation to the aggressive behavior of children. Thus, it focuses on:
To figure out why people make Violent Television Programme
To determine the harmful consequences of viewing Violent Television Programme on aggressive behaviour of children.
To learn more about how Violent Television Programme influence aggressive behaviour of children.
To provide recommendations for reducing the harmful impact of Violent Television Programme on Nigerian youths.
1.4 Research Questions
The following questions have been prepared for this study;
Do you think there are reasons for making Violent Television Programme?
What are the negative effects associated with watching Violent Television Programme on aggressive behaviour of children.
Does violence films affect the aggressive behaviour of children?
What are the ways negative effect caused by Violent Television Programme on Nigerian children can be controlled?
1.5 Research Hypothesis
H0: Violent Television Programme does not affect the aggressive behaviour of children
H2: Violent Television Programme affect the aggressive behaviour of children
H0: There are no negative effects associated with watching Violent Television Programme on aggressive behaviour of children.
H1: There are negative effects associated with watching Violent Television Programme on aggressive behaviour of children.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study is of great benefit to parents. They will be able to see how important it is to control their children"s viewing habits and to view programmes with their children. The approving or disapproving remarks made by them during the show will affect the behaviour of the children, who over-hear them. This will also strengthen parent-child relationship. So, it will be a guiding tool for parents" upbringing of their children.
The study will also be significant to educators. The information collected can be used to formulate a theory which will be useful for psychology, counselling and other educational practices. It will again be significant to the children. It will contribute to their social deve1opment. Producers will be encouraged to produce effective programmes with high entertainment and educative value which will influence children positively.
Furthermore, government will see the need to put in place workable strategies to monitor programmes transmitted by the television station and to ensure the implementation of these strategies.
Finally it is my belief that this study will serve as a useful source of information for further studies on the influence of television violence on aggressive behaviour of children.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study is focused on the influence of violent television programme on the aggressive behaviour of children. It is limited to public primary schools in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
Like in every human endeavour, the researcher encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size. More so, the researcher simultaneously engaged in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.
Moreover, the case study method utilized in the study posed some challenges to the investigator including the possibility of biases and poor judgment of issues. However, the investigator relied on respect for the general principles of procedures, justice, fairness, objectivity in observation and recording, and weighing of evidence to overcome the challenges.
1.9 Definition of Terms
Violent Media:
Violent media are those behaviour that depict intentional attempts by individuals to inflict harm on others.
Aggression:
It is a behaviour intended to harm another individual who is motivated to avoid that harm.
Violence:
Refers to extreme form of aggression, such as physical assault and murder.
Amygdala:
A roughly almond-shaped mass of gray matter inside each cerebral hemisphere, involved with the experiencing of emotions.
1.10 Organization of the Study
This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows.
Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study.
Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study.
Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.
Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.
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