Jeanne B. Funk

Playing violent video games, desensitization, and moral evaluation in children

Relationships between short- and long-term exposure to violent video games and desensitization, as measured through components of moral evaluation, were examined. Sixty-six children aged 5–12 years old completed questionnaires assessing video game experience and preferences and empathy and attitudes toward violence. The children played a violent or nonviolent video game and then responded to vignettes about everyday occurrences. Vignette responses were coded for aggression and empathy. Preexisting empathy and attitudes towards violence were positively related to the corresponding vignette scores. Long-term exposure to violent video games contributed to lower empathy vignette scores. Playing a violent versus a nonviolent game did not affect vignette responses. Results suggest that long-term exposure to violent video games may be associated with desensitization as reflected in lower empathy, although the direction of causality remains unclear.

Children's Perceptions of Gender Differences in Social Approval for Playing Electronic Games.

Gender differences characterize childrens commitment to playing electronic games. These gender differences are consistent with common stereotypes that may be triggered by the context and content of electronic games. If conforming to gender stereotypes in electronic game playing maintains social approval, then those children who choose alternate playing patterns risk social sanction. The present study was designed to characterize childrens views of gender differences in social approval for electronic game playing. A questionnaire was administered to 364 fourth- and fifth-grade students (203 females) in a midwestern suburban school district. Approximately 12% of the students represented minorities, and the majority were African-American. Children responded to fourteen statements describing the social acceptability by gender of certain playing habits. Chi-square analyses identified important gender and grade differences. Many children endorsed statements indicating that social approval for game playing is consistent with common gender stereotypes. The most striking gender differences in perceived social approval were found in statements referencing “fighting games.” Children whose game playing deviates from approved patterns may represent a group of “high-risk” electronic game players.

The Attitudes Towards Violence Scale A Measure for Adolescents

The incidence and lethality of youth violence is escalating, leading to the development of violence prevention programs. Some have attempted to “resensitize” individuals to violence. The Attitudes Towards Violence Scale was designed to assess the impact of such interventions. The Scale demonstrates good internal reliability (Cronbachs alpha=.86) and a meaningful twofactor solution: Reactive Violence (violence used in response to actual or perceived threat) and Culture of Violence (a pervasive, ingrained identification with violence as an acceptable and valued activity). Being male, being of a non-European American ethnicity, or being a victim of violence predicted endorsement of proviolence attitudes. The Attitudes Towards Violence Scale may be useful in targeting interventions according to preexisting attitudinal dispositions.

Rating Electronic Games: Violence Is in the Eye of the Beholder.

Commercial ratings assist parents in monitoring their childrens media experiences. Exposure to media violence may affect attitudes and behavior, and rating systems should accurately reflect the presence of violent content. Validity indicators for commercial rating systems are examined, including consistency with consumer perceptions. Violent electronic games are a contemporary media phenomenon. A comparison of commercial ratings for popular electronic games with consumer perceptions of game content indicates that, for games with obviously nonviolent or very violent content, there is agreement between consumers and the commercial system. However, there is considerable disagreement about notable violent content in games with cartoon-type violence. Recommendations include incorporating consumer perceptions into a comprehensive, content-based, informational rating system for all entertainment media.

Adolescents' Possible Selves and Their Relationship to Global Self-Esteem

Recent research indicates that adolescent girlsself-esteem is lower than that of boys, and adolescence has been identified as a particularly problematic period for female self-esteem. However, many studies use global self-esteem measures that mask important differences within the domains of self-concept that contribute to self-esteem. Further, some self-esteem measures assess components of male self-esteem but overlook aspects of female self-esteem. The possible selves approach was used to identify categories of adolescent male and female self-concept that correlate with self-esteem. Subjects were 212 high-school students. The sample was primarily (96%)Caucasian. Results indicate that female self-esteem is related to perceived likelihood of hoped-for and feared possible selves in multiple domains, whereas male self-esteem is related only to the likelihood of one domain of hoped-for possible selves.

Principals’ Perceptions and Practices of School Bullying Prevention Activities

The purpose of this study was to examine principals’ perceptions and practices regarding bullying prevention. A survey instrument was developed to assess principals’ stages of change and perceived barriers regarding selected bullying prevention activities as well as the effectiveness of bullying prevention activities. Of a national random sample of 700 principalsto which the survey was mailed, 55% responded. None of the school-based bullying prevention activities were being done by more than one in five schools even though principals perceived there to be no barriers regarding these activities. Characteristics that affected the offering of these activities included number of perceived barriers to implementing the activity, whether the principal had received violence/bullying prevention training, perceptions regarding the extent of bullying, and the number of bullying problems reported to them. The findings suggest that preprofessional training and continuing education are needed to educate principals regarding this area.

Parents of Preschoolers: Expert Media Recommendations and Ratings Knowledge, Media-Effects Beliefs, and Monitoring Practices

OBJECTIVE. Given the increase in screen media targeted at the very young, the purpose of this study was to examine preschooler parents’ knowledge about expert recommendations for young childrens screen media experience, their knowledge of specific screen media ratings, their beliefs about screen media effects, and actual monitoring practices. METHOD. Parents of 94 children <5 years of age (mean age: 2.95 years) were surveyed. Questionnaires were distributed in day care centers and completed at the parents’ convenience. The questionnaire included background questions about parental education, age and gender of child, and parents’ perceptions of their childs favorite television show and favorite video or computer game. Eleven multiple-choice questions assessed the respondents knowledge of expert recommendations for screen media for preschoolers and the meaning of television and video game content ratings. Fourteen questions addressed the typical amount of their preschoolers screen media exposure, parental rules regarding screen media use, and parents’ beliefs about appropriate use of screen media for preschoolers. RESULTS. Preschoolers were exposed to an average of ∼12 hours of screen media in a typical week. Parents believe that media do have either short- or long-term effects on preschoolers. Performance on factual questions was poor (mean score: 2.83 of 11). In particular, only 34% of the parents correctly identified the expert recommendation for children >2 years of age. CONCLUSIONS. Parents should continue to be educated about the need for preschoolers to participate in activities that promote language development, socialization, imagination, and physical activity. Although professionals should work to improve the ratings, and ultimately to implement a universal ratings system for all screen media, parents need to be encouraged to improve their understanding of current recommendations for screen media exposure and television and video game ratings.

The Attitudes Toward Violence Scale: Child Version

The importance of early intervention for preventing the development of violent behavior is well recognized. There is particular interest in addressing mediating factors through which risk may be transformed into behavior—for example, attitudes. The Attitudes Toward Violence Scale: Child Version (ATVC) was designed to measure the impact of interventions targeting change in attitudes towards violence in elementary school children. The ATVC demonstrates good internal reliability and has a meaningful two-factor solution: Reactive Violence (violence in response to a perceived or actual threat) and Culture of Violence (a pervasive view that violence is an acceptable and valued behavioral choice). A negative correlation between the ATVC and a child empathy measure provides support for the validity of the ATVC. Being male, self-identification as a victim, and African American ethnicity each predicted endorsement of proviolence attitudes. The ATVC may be useful in targeting interventions based on preexisting attitudinal dispositions and in measuring intervention outcome.

Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of secretin: effects on aberrant behavior in children with autism.

Secretin has been proposed as a treatment alternative for autistic spectrum disorders, but empirical support is lacking. A double-blind placebo-controlled study examined the effect of a single dose of synthetic human secretin on aberrant behavior. Parent and teacher data from the Aberrant Behavior Checklist for eight male children were analyzed for reliable change in a clinical replication series. By parent and teacher report, the majority of change occurred either on the placebo trial or reflected deterioration subsequent to secretin infusion. Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance results were similar. Results are consistent with other studies, suggesting that secretin may not be an effective treatment option.

A matched cohort comparison of a criminal justice system's response to child sexual abuse : A profile of perpetrators

OBJECTIVE This study was undertaken to examine whether alleged child sexual abuse perpetrators are handled differently by the courts than other alleged felony perpetrators. Comparisons were made from the time of prosecutorial case acceptance through prosecution to sentencing, with emphasis on judicial and prosecutorial decision-making and plea-bargaining. METHOD Data were retrospectively abstracted on the entire defendant population of cases of sexual abuse of children and adolescents (ages 2-17) over a 5-year period. Using a case-flow analysis, comparisons were made between a child sexual abuse cohort and a cohort of matched felony cases from a single jurisdiction. RESULTS Three important findings emerged. First, compared to other felons, abuse perpetrators were employed, had been married, were mostly European American, and were older than 30 years of age. Second, in the abuse cohort, as many as 14% had a previous sexual or violent record compared to 2% in the comparison group. Third, similar percentages of perpetrators in both groups were released on their own recognizance, had the charges against them dropped, and were found guilty. As well, no differences between groups were found in the proportion of individuals sentenced to jail, probation, counseling, or work release. CONCLUSIONS Although the treatment of perpetrators of child sexual abuse was similar to the treatment of perpetrators of other felonies, the profile of the child abuse perpetrator was quite different. Knowledge about this profile may impact prosecution or treatment and recidivism rates, to the extent that recidivism is related to characteristics of the abuse perpetrator.