Whether or not they are practised depends upon the extent to which young viewers are watched over and cared for in the home , school and community. What is evident on St Helena is that good parenting and schooling, alongside a strong sense of community, have contributed to creating an environment which prevented television from exerting a negative influence upon young children. To do that we should look more closely at the environment in which we raise our children. Our research suggests that the community can also be a strong influence, for better or for worse. However, as yet, little is known about ways to 'educate' our communities so that they link up more effectively with homes and schools to watch over and exercise care for children's behaviour.
Many communities are no longer communities in any meaningful sense.
Given this decline it is unsurprising that violent and other anti-social behaviour is on the increase.