Children may become desensitized after witnessing violence

Children who witness violence may begin to think it is normal and become more aggressive themselves, according to a new study published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Researchers in Spain interviewed 800 children between the ages of eight and 12, asking about their exposure to violence on television, in their neighborhood, at home and in school. The questionnaire also asked the children whether violence was an appropriate response, and about their own levels of aggression.

Six months later, the researchers returned and surveyed the children with the same questions.

The study found that those children who said that they had witnessed a violent act were more likely to be aggressive, even at the six-month follow-up, suggesting that exposure to violence can have a lasting or delayed effect.

The children who reported being victims of violence during the first round of questions were also more likely to show aggression at the six-month mark.

"Exposure to violence can also increase aggression regardless of whether at home, at school, in or in the virtual world of TV, regardless of whether the person is a witness or a victim," conclude the authors.