- CHICAGO (Reuters) - The more
television 4-year-old children watch the more likely they are to become
bullies later on in school, a U.S. study said Monday.
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- At the same time, children whose parents read to them,
take them on outings and just generally pay attention to them are less
likely to become bullies, said the report from the University of Washington.
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- Bullying can now be added "to the list of potential
negative consequences of excessive television viewing along with obesity,
inattention and other types of aggression," said Frederick Zimmerman
who led the research.
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- "Our findings suggest some steps that can be taken
with children to potentially help prevent bullying. Maximizing cognitive
stimulation and limiting television watching in the early years of development
might reduce children's subsequent risk of becoming bullies," he added.
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- Previous research had indicated that emotional support
from parents helps young children develop empathy, self-regulation and
social skills, making them less likely to be bullies, said the report published
in the April issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
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- Researchers have also found that early gaps in learning
and understanding may make children less competent in dealing with their
peers and that violence on television leads to aggressive behavior, it
added.
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- The Washington study reached its conclusions by looking
at data from a study of 1,266 four-year-olds whose bullying -- based on
assessments from their mothers -- was tracked at ages 6 through 11. Overall,
about 13 percent the children turned out to be bullies.
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- The study also took into account the stimulation the
children received as measured by outings, reading, playing and what role
the parents played in teaching the children.
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- Whether the child ate meals with both parents, whether
parents talked to the child while working were also measured, along with
the average number of hours of television viewed.
- © Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
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