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Crash! Boom! Bang!
Does TV Violence Affect Our Children?
By Mark Stackpole
Former corporate trainer Dawn Riley of San Jose, Calif., made the decision to become a full-time mom to daughters Hope, 9, and Noelle, 3. As a part of instilling values in their children, Riley and her husband, Ken, have taken a very firm stance on TV viewing. "We feel very strongly about the issue of violence on television, mainly because we want them to not only have a wonderful and healthy childhood, but we want them to grow up to be responsible, compassionate and empathetic adults," Riley says.
The Rileys have made most network programming off-limits to the girls and even keep a close eye on the cartoons they are allowed to watch. "As far as we are concerned, anything that contains fighting or hurting someone, either physically or emotionally, is violent," Riley says. "Even some children's programming has aggressive behavior, harsh and degrading words or fighting. We don't want to force them to grow up too quickly or fill their heads with more than they can handle at this age."
Adam Miller is the father of three adult childen and 13-year-old Brittany. A sports official in Fremont, Calif., Adam and his wife, Mary Sue, take a very practical approach to violent and sexual television programming. "Parents should monitor their children and become more involved," Miller says. "Too often, the TV is used as a babysitter. Know what your child is watching and limit their time in front of the TV – there is so much more to do than sit around it all day."