CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Effects of violent television programmes on adolescent entails a detailed look at violent television programmes, which according to Ellen Casper (1997) are “programmes aired on television that portray aggressive actions in news, musicals, movies, particularly of late home videos etc, that children get attracted to. These programmes which make some impact in some of them which they exhibit in that tender age or later on in life”.
Although, the mass media acts as a means of transmitting information and materials from a diversity of national and international sources, especially those aimed at promoting child’s social, spiritual and moral well being and physical and mental health. The child’s personality can either be shaped positively or negatively by the mass media.
Today, children live in a world where violence is thee norm and so many people have come to believe that violent television programmes have contributed significantly to the increase in crimes of violence and low performance of students especially in the urban cities. Mass media industries do not take much time in warning viewers about the violence they will see, so aggressive videos find their way easily to students who should not see them.
As a result of the violent television programmes which adolescent watch, it makes them exhibit some violent actions in the society they live in.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This research is looking into violent television programmes, which adolescents are being exposed to daily and the effects these programmes have on them after watching such programmes.
In order for these problems to be solved, the researcher is aimed at informing the public about the problems and suggestions on how to control these problems. Therefore, the following questions have become necessary.
1. Is it true that because some adolescents watch television programme that they turn out to be violent?…………