Exposure of children to virtual violence is a cause for concern across the world. Recognising children’s greater access to digital media in the present day, American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) has recently issued guidelines to parents, educational institutions, paediatricians and the entertainment industry on virtual violence.
In Hyderabad, these guidelines seem more important now than at any other time.
An eight-year-old class III student killed his junior, two-years-younger, by repeatedly stomping the younger boy’s private parts, resulting in the latter’s death. Reportage of the incident has suggested the older boy is hyperactive and may have been exposed to violence in virtual (on mobile phone) and in the real world. Sans the need for legal involvement in the matter (the older boy is a minor aged under 12 and is legally not responsible for his act), the police have not explored causal factors that may have driven an eight-year-old to act violently, and thus have dismissed the incident as common occurrences in schools with an unfortunate and uncommon end. Psychologists believe otherwise.
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“A child’s tendency to behave violently is a result of behaviour reinforcement. That is, if the first instance of violence is encouraged or appreciated, it becomes a habit,” said Dr. Naga Seema, a researcher at the Centre for Psychological Well-Being on HCU campus.
Child rights activists who visited the dwellings of the family of the older boy have held the school responsible. Actions of the child were not suggestive of normal behaviour but clearly, the child did not know what he was doing, they said, adding they did not explore a direct connection between exposure to digital content and the violent act.
As if speaking ominously about the Hyderabad incident, the AAP in its discussions notes, “Even if it is assumed that only two percent of the public is induced to behave more aggressively after being exposed to violent media, it can be expected that 400,000 of the 20 million viewers of the latest violent blockbuster film will exhibit increased aggression after viewing the movie, at least for a short period of time. Surely, even that figure is large enough to warrant some public attention and action.”
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‘Parents ignorant’
Dr. Sujatha Raman, a city-based psychiatrist said she often seeks details of gaming and television-watching from parents who seek her with complaints of violent behaviour in their children. “Parents are often ignorant about what their children are exposed to. Children are innocent, unaware of their strength and consequences of their actions. The consequences of their actions should be made clear to them in benign ways,” she said while urging parents to heed ratings given for films, television shows and video games.
The academy also recommends parents learn what their children watch and play. If possible, parents should seek to play those games and watch television shows their children indulge, if only to identify portrayal of violence. The entertainment industry was advised to not glamorise weapons or portray violence as a solution to resolving conflicts
Rohit PS