Influence of Exposure of Children to Violent Films in Selected States in Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

Studies spanning decades on the influence of media have most often inferred that the media have certain kind of influence on the audience perception and attitude. The level of influence has been varied as noted in literature on Bullet Theory, Uses and Gratification Theory, Theory of Learned Behaviour and Theory of Selectivity. This study therefore was an attempt to evaluate the influence of exposure of children to violent films. It aimed at finding out if exposure to violent films can impact a child’s behaviour. Using the theory of selectivity and social learning theory, the study adopted a descriptive approach. The population of the study was drawn from children in four schools across Enugu and Anambra states with one school drawn from an urban area and the other from a rural area in both states. The study found that there is minimal exposure of children in the South East to film and their exposure to violent films is also minimal. The study recorded that there is no significant relationship between exposure to violence in film and violence in real life. Children get exposed to violent films based on choices made by parents or friends, for the thrill of the action and also due to lack of alternative films to watch. It therefore recommended that parents should pay more attention to the movies consumed by their children and should as well guide them on how to avoid peer influence when their friends try to make them watch films with violent content.