Thaindian News

Washington, Mar 30 (ANI): A new study has found that the more children are exposed to violence, the more they think it’s normal.

Unfortunately, the more they think violence is normal, the more likely they are to engage in aggression against others.

Researchers asked nearly 800 children, from 8 to 12 years old, about whether they had witnessed violence at school, in their neighborhood, at home, or on TV. They also asked the participants if they had been a victim of violence. The survey also measured responses to whether aggression was appropriate. The final section of the questionnaire measured how aggressive the child was, based both on their own report and what their classmates said about them.

Six months later, they surveyed the children again, asking the same questions. This allowed them to test whether witnessing violence-or being a victim of it-led to higher levels of aggression half a year later.

The schoolchildren who had witnessed violence were more aggressive. Witnessing violence also had a delayed effect-observing violence at the first phase of the study predicted more aggression six months later, over and above how aggressive the children were in the beginning.

The same effect occurred for being a victim of violence. Victimization at the first phase of the study was associated with more aggression six months later, even given the high levels of aggression at the study’s start.

The increased aggression was caused in part by a change in how the children thought that violence was normal. Seeing violence-at home, school, on TV, or as its victim-made it seem common, normal, and acceptable. Thinking that aggression is “normal” led to more of it.

The study appears in the current issue of Social Psychological and Personality Science. (ANI)