Making sense of senseless media violence
AS GRAPHIC IMAGES REACH HOMES FASTER THAN EVER, PARENTS NEED TO PREPARE TO ADDRESS THE FEARS THEIR CHILD MAY BE GRAPPLING WITH AFTER SUCH EXPOSURE
Reports and images of earthquakes, accidents, lynchings, murders and other violence on digital media worsen adult anxiety, stress and insomnia but the distress they cause to children is long lasting.
As graphic images reach homes through multiple platforms, parents need to prepare to address the fears their child may be grappling with after inadvertently being exposed to violence on social media, television news, films or video games.
News footage in India often has more graphic and repetitive images of violence and strong language in one bulletin than video games and films with adult ratings. Studies of children’s media exposure to mass shootings and terror acts in the US— including the 9/11 attacks, Oklahoma bombing in 1995 and the Boston marathon bombing in 2013—found that it led to anxiety, fear and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in kids.
Watching images of natural disasters also cause intense anxiety in the young minds. Adolescents who watched news reports of the Sichuan earthquake that killed at least 69,000 people in 2008 had a higher rate of PTSD than those who watched less television, found a study from China.
SIGNS OF TROUBLES
The symptoms of deep-set trauma in children include sadness, separation anxiety, disturbed sleep, nightmares, helplessness, loss of interest in normal activities, reduced concentration, stress, anger and irritability. Their grades at school may slip and their behaviour with family and friends may change.
Particularly vulnerable are children under eight, who have difficulty processing the difference between fantasy and reality, which adds to anxiety or aggressive behaviour. Chronic exposure to graphic violence can lead to fear and desensitisation and, in some children, aggressive behaviour, says the American Psychological Association, which has been tracking the effect of media violence on children for three decades.
Children who watch shows where violence is realistic, repeated frequently or goes unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see as adults, especially if they have emotional, behavioural, learning or impulse-control problems, according to the American Academy of Paediatrics.
Exposure to graphic violence is predictive of more aggression in later life independent of gender, according a 15-year longitudinal study published in the journal Developmental Psychology.
As adults, people exposed to violence were more likely to have pushed, grabbed or shoved people, including their partners, and committed more traffic violations and crimes, regardless of their initial aggression level, intellectual capability, education and social status, and their parents’ parenting style, education and occupation.
HELPING HAND
Most children can overcome short-term distress if adults they trust talk to them about the incident in a safe environment. Adults should not assume children forget because they don’t understand. Parents and teachers should not wait for them to ask questions either because children often find it difficult to put their fears and anxieties in words.
Adults need to talk about what’s going on with children in words they understand to both lower the potential negative effect of the event and help share their own ideas and values. If it’s a lynching or a terror attack, children must be reassured they and their loved ones are safe and that random acts of senseless violence are extremely rare.
It helps to minimise exposure to images as far as possible by filtering settings on the phone and browser and not leaving news on in the background at home. Taking action to lower exposure after viewing violence that can’t be controlled creates a sense of control, which lowers trauma and promotes resilience.
The few children who continue to feel anxious and fearful can gain from cognitive behavioural therapy, which helps lower persistent distress reactions, anxiety, depression, and behavioural problems.