%0 Journal Article
%T Longitudinal Links between Early Childhood Exposure to Violent Television and Later Externalizing Behaviors in Adolescent Boys and Girls
%A David Matthew Clark
%A Stephen Joel Turner
%J Journal of Medical Sciences and Interdisciplinary Research
%@ 3108-4826
%D 2021
%V 1
%N 1
%R 10.51847/FjrpsIu2ww
%P 50-60
%X Exposure to violent media during early childhood represents a modifiable risk factor for preventive interventions. While prior research has documented links between violent media exposure and aggressive tendencies in childhood, few studies have examined the enduring associations with antisocial behavior into adolescence. This study explores prospective links between early exposure to violent television and later antisocial outcomes in mid-adolescence. The sample comprised 963 girls and 982 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) birth cohort. Parents reported their child’s frequency of viewing violent television at ages 3.5 and 4.5 years. At age 15, participants self-reported four indicators of antisocial behavior. Linear regression models assessed the relationship between early violent media exposure and adolescent antisocial outcomes, with analyses stratified by sex and controlling for pre-existing and concurrent individual and family confounders. Among boys, early childhood exposure to violent television was associated with higher levels of proactive aggression (β = 0.065; 95% CI, 0.001–0.089), physical aggression (β = 0.074; 95% CI, 0.040–0.487), and overall antisocial behavior (β = 0.076; 95% CI, 0.013–0.140) in mid-adolescence. No significant prospective associations were observed for girls. Findings indicate that early violent media exposure can have long-lasting adverse effects on boys’ behavioral development, increasing risks for aggression and delinquent behavior over a decade later. Preventive strategies aimed at educating parents and communities about the potential harms of preschool exposure to violent content may foster healthier developmental trajectories in youth.
%U https://smerpub.com/article/longitudinal-links-between-early-childhood-exposure-to-violent-television-and-later-externalizing-be-kgyhvvvyua7jcht