Study: Kids who watch TV more likely to bully
Tuesday, April 5, 2005 Posted: 10:07 AM EDT (1407 GMT)


CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- The more television 4-year-old children watch the more likely they are to become bullies later on in school, a U.S. study said on Monday.

At the same time, children whose parents read to them, take them on outings and just generally pay attention to them are less likely to become bullies, said the report from the University of Washington.

Bullying can now be added "to the list of potential negative consequences of excessive television viewing along with obesity, inattention and other types of aggression," said Frederick Zimmerman who led the research.

"Our findings suggest some steps that can be taken with children to potentially help prevent bullying. Maximizing cognitive stimulation and limiting television watching in the early years of development might reduce children's subsequent risk of becoming bullies," he added.

Previous research had indicated that emotional support from parents helps young children develop empathy, self-regulation and social skills, making them less likely to be bullies, said the report published in the April issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Researchers have also found that early gaps in learning and understanding may make children less competent in dealing with their peers and that violence on television leads to aggressive behavior, it added.

The Washington study reached its conclusions by looking at data from a study of 1,266 four-year-olds whose bullying -- based on assessments from their mothers -- was tracked at ages 6 through 11. Overall, about 13 percent the children turned out to be bullies.

The study also took into account the stimulation the children received as measured by outings, reading, playing and what role the parents played in teaching the children.

Whether the child ate meals with both parents, whether parents talked to the child while working were also measured, along with the average number of hours of television viewed.

Yes, because cartoons show antisocial, violent behavior they're likely to pick up.

I watched TV all the time when I was younger. "Violent" cartoons, too. I've never hit anybody. Lame study. :thumbsdow

Personally, I think that bullies are probably born with that aggressive gene in them. Violent programmes may provide fuel for that gene, but I don't think it's the outright cause, since I know of children who watched their fair share of television, and are placid enough people.

As for me, I've always loved reading and did it a lot when I was a child, yet I still watched a lot of television, and I never bullied anybody either. For one reason, I'm just not like that, and for another, I'm very shy and enjoy being by myself. I never made any attempt to make friends whilst in junior (elementary) school. When I moved onto secondary (high) school, I started branching out a bit more, and there's a group of people that I sit in the school library with and talk to, but I never see anyone from school outside of school.

Anyway, that's quite enough from me, so, over and out.

I watched TV all the time when I was younger. "Violent" cartoons, too. I've never hit anybody. Lame study. :thumbsdow

I agree.

All I ever did when I was a kid was sit on my ass and watch TV. I hated the outdoors. I never bullied anyone.

You know what the problem is? PARENTS. Parents need to watch what their kids watch and monitor their TV activities. And they need to teach them the difference between real and make-believe.

Disagree......even though I can kinda see why people would think that.

Disagree..my brother and I watched those all the time when we were young and so did our friends. Neither of us have ever shown and violent trends toward anyone else...

Also I think in many of the violent cartoons children watch, the one who is doing the violence, almost never gets what they want. For example, the coyot against the road runner- he always is the one with explosives and he ends up getting hurt or falling off a cliff.

i'm sure the effect varies.

Just cause you see someone hurt someone else on TV or something doesn't mean you're gonna go out and do it the next day!!!

Sometimes my parents say it's still bad to put that stuff in your mind.
Sorry but I disagree.

I'm a really big fan of "7th Heaven" and me and my sisters use to watch that show alot. My parents really didn't like us watching it cause they'd talk about drinking, having sex before marriage, and all that stuff.
But normally (not all the time, but 98 percent of the time) kids don't do something "bad" just cause they see it on TV.

You know what the problem is? PARENTS. Parents need to watch what their kids watch and monitor their TV activities. And they need to teach them the difference between real and make-believe.you and i are on the same wave legnth here

Well of COURSE they became bullies - have you seen the kinds of idiotic drivel that qualify as "kids shows" these days. I'd wanna beat the snot outta somebody TOO if I was forced to watch hours of that stuff....

....when I was little, I was parked in front of Nickelodeon BEFORE it turned to crap Read (The only nicktoons were Rugrats, Doug, Ren and Stimpy) Sesame Street, Mister Rogers, and more game shows than you can shake a stick at (back in the waning days of the daytime game show, plus all the reruns on USA and Family Channel), and I'd like to think, at least personality wise, I turned out pretty good.

Memo to Parents: If you insist on parking your kids in front of the TV, park them in front of PBS and Game Show Network/GSN (at least up through Mid-afternoon - When Win Ben Stein's Money comes on, it might be time to turn it). Trust me on this.

Lol,thats the funniest bullsh_t I've heard all day.I spent my childhood in front of the tv and I was never a bully.What a load of crap,any excuse to make TV look bad.

Lol,thats the funniest bullsh_t I've heard all day.I spent my childhood in front of the tv and I was never a bully.What a load of crap,any excuse to make TV look bad.

I agree!!

yeah - it seems like a bunch of nonsense to me

*pushes down and steals lunch money*

Well of COURSE they became bullies - have you seen the kinds of idiotic drivel that qualify as "kids shows" these days. I'd wanna beat the snot outta somebody TOO if I was forced to watch hours of that stuff....

....when I was little, I was parked in front of Nickelodeon BEFORE it turned to crap Read (The only nicktoons were Rugrats, Doug, Ren and Stimpy) Sesame Street, Mister Rogers, and more game shows than you can shake a stick at (back in the waning days of the daytime game show, plus all the reruns on USA and Family Channel), and I'd like to think, at least personality wise, I turned out pretty good.

Memo to Parents: If you insist on parking your kids in front of the TV, park them in front of PBS and Game Show Network/GSN (at least up through Mid-afternoon - When Win Ben Stein's Money comes on, it might be time to turn it). Trust me on this.

Word. I watched the same stuff.

Yes, because cartoons show antisocial, violent behavior they're likely to pick up.I just was gonna reply saying this!!

Stevie im glad your still here,your a good staff member!!

Yes all the garbage on TV especially now IS NOT GOOD!!!!!!!!!

I just was gonna reply saying this!!

Stevie im glad your still here,your a good staff member!!

Yes alll the garbage on TV especially now IS NOT GOOD!!!!!!!!!

Kids should watch "Bad Luck Blackie," in which a bulldog bullies a kitten, because, eventually, the bulldog gets his just deserts for bullying a sweet, innocent kitten. :cat:

I just was gonna reply saying this!!

Stevie im glad your still here,your a good staff member!!

Yes all the garbage on TV especially now IS NOT GOOD!!!!!!!!!

The original 20 year old post was about a study which showed TV watching by 4 year olds often caused them to become bullies. Now a study would probably concentrate on social media/digital devices, since most kids are occupied with those now.

And in this post you say "all the garbage on TV...now is not good." So you are saying no TV is good, right? You watch nothing on TV?

I havent watched it mostly because I dont like how it looks... If I could get in it in beautiful analogue like I did in the 80s,I may still watch it..... But nothing is very good now anyways... Wouldnt you agree buddy??