Relationally Aggressive Media Exposure and Children's Normative Beliefs: Does Parental Mediation Matter?

Research indicates that relationally aggressive media exposure is positively associated with relational aggression in children. Theories of media effects suggest that these associations may be mediated by aggressive cognitions. Although parental mediation can attenuate the effects of violent media, it is unknown whether there are similar benefits of parental mediation of relationally aggressive media. The current study examined concurrent and longitudinal associations between relationally aggressive television and movie exposure and normative beliefs about relational aggression and whether parental mediation moderates these associations. Participants were 103 children (50% female) in grades 3 - 6 and their parents. The following year, 48 children (52% female) were again assessed. Relationally aggressive media exposure predicted concurrent relational aggression norms, even after controlling for physically aggressive media exposure and physical aggression norms. Relationally aggressive television and movie exposure predicted greater subsequent approval of relational aggression only among children whose parents engaged in low levels of active mediation.Key Words: normative beliefs, parental active mediation, relationally aggressive media.In recent years there has been increased interest in the negative effects of relational aggression in the media on viewers. Relational aggression refers to behaviors that inflict harm through the manipulation of relationships. This form of aggression is distinct from physical aggression and includes behaviors such as spreading rumors, social exclusion, and threats to withdraw love or friendship (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). Existing content analyses indicate that relational aggression and the related behaviors of indirect and social aggression are prevalent in television programming and movies and are often presented in ways that facilitate learning of relationally aggressive behaviors and beliefs supportive of this subtype of aggression (Coyne & Archer, 2004; Linder & Gentile, 2009; Linder & Lyle, 201 1). In addition, correlational and experimental studies provide evidence of links between relationally aggressive media exposure and relationally aggressive behavior among children, adolescents, and adults and show that the effects of relationally aggressive media exposure differ from those of violent media exposure (Coyne & Archer, 2005; Coyne, Archer, & Eslea, 2004; Coyne et al., 2008, 201 1 ; Linder & Gentile, 2009). Less is known about the effects of relationally aggressive media exposure on aggressive cognitions, which may be an important mediator of media effects on aggression. The first goal of this study was to examine concurrent and longitudinal associations between relationally aggressive media exposure and children's normative beliefs about relational aggression. Additionally, there is a need for research that investigates ways to mitigate the negative effects of relationally aggressive media exposure. Therefore the second goal of the study was to investigate if active parental mediation of media, as indicated by discussion of media content, moderates these associations.Prevalence and Effects of Relational Aggression in Television and MoviesRecent content analyses indicate that depictions of relational aggression are prevalent on television in a variety of genres (Coyne & Archer, 2004; Coyne, Robinson, & Nelson, 2010; Linder & Gentile, 2009). Although less is known about the prevalence of relational aggression in movies, Coyne and Whitehead (2008) found that relational aggression occurs in animated Disney films at rates similar to those found on television. Televised relational aggression is likely to be portrayed as justified, rewarded, and used by attractive characters (Coyne & Archer, 2004; Linder & Lyle, 2011), which social learning theories suggest increases the likelihood that exposure will result in increased viewer aggression (Bandura, 1965, 1986; Berkowitz & Powers, 1979; Hogben, 1998; Wilson et al. …