Somewhere in a small rural town two young friends are playing a new video game. It sounds harmless right? Well it is. The game is called Grand Theft Auto, a relatively violent game. Under normal circumstances there wouldn't be a problem here, but shortly after they finish playing the game the problem shows its face. One of the boys finds his father's .45 caliber pistol and to make a bad situation even worse the other boy suggests a little round of target practice. While they were trying to figure out how to use it, gun misfires and fatally wounds his friend. Let's ask ourselves a question, who's to blame? Can it be option A: The parents fault for not supervising their children, B: The parents fault for keeping a gun in a place where a young child can find it, or is it option C: The parents fault for not taking time to explain the difference between right and wrong. The answer is D: None of the above. This is the answer that most people give. People give this answer because they can't take responsibility for themselves, they have to find something or someone else to blame.
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The Most popular scapegoat today is violence in the media. Although there is a large amount of violence in the media, violent behavior in children can be avoided. Parents simply using good parenting skills can help children steer clear from these behaviors. These skills include:.
- Limiting the amount of television children watch.
- Monitoring the programs children watch and restricting the viewing of violent programs.
- Monitoring the music videos and films children see, as well as the music they listen to for violent themes.
- Help their children to distinguish the difference between fantasy and reality.
- Teaching them that real life violence has consequences.
- Asking children how they feel after watching a violent TV show, movie, or video game (American Academy of Pediatrics).
In many cases the parents aren't around to teach their children right and wrong, so the kids learn their life's lessons from the television.