Viewing violence
Subtitle: how media violence affects your child's and adolescent's development
By: Madeline Levine.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Doubleday
Published: 1996
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 256
Subjects: Mass media and children; Mass media and teenagers; Violence in mass media
Description: Psychologist and mother Madeline Levine looks at the history of television and movie violence in the United States. She translates into everyday language the results of over four decades of research on the effects of media violence - research that up until now has been inaccessible to most parents. Using a "developmental approach," Dr. Levine helps parents understand that children at different ages think about, understand, and experience the world in very different ways.

An appreciation of these differences in how children "see" things is critical if parents are to make wise choices about what is appropriate and what is potentially harmful to their children. Using research findings, common sense, and personal experience, Dr. Levine demonstrates that violence is not generic - and neither are children: the movie that may be instructive and appropriate for an eleven-year-old may be traumatic and overwhelming for a seven-year-old.

Parents frequently underestimate the impact of violent television on their children and may be surprised at what children find upsetting.

Dr. Levine argues that the issue of media violence is not trivial, that our society is increasingly at risk not only for higher levels of violence but for a greater tolerance and acceptance of this violence. In spite of efforts from both sides of the political spectrum to claim media violence as a political issue, Dr. Levine insists this is a parenting and citizenship issue. She looks at how parents, government, schools, and the media itself can best approach the problem.

The book concludes with a list of resources to help parents become active in media reform.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [237]-245) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: Part one : Warning : viewing violence is dangerous to your child's health.; title: What we know; title: Television in America; title: Research and theory; title: Part two : Developmental approach.; title: Introduction; title: Attachment; title: Aggression; title: Cognitive development (thinking); title: Moral development (conscience); title: Part three : Through the eyes of a child : how children "see" the media.; title: The cartoon dilemma : ages 3, 4, and 5; title: Middle childhood : ages 6, 7, and 8; title: Older childhood : ages 9, 10, and 11; title: Early adolescence : ages 12, 13, and 14; title: Adolescence : ages 15, 16, 17, and 18; title: Part four : Where do we go from here?; title: Suggestions, solutions, and directions for parents; title: Directions for schools, media and government; title: Resource directory