INQUIRY INTO THE IMPACT OF TELEVISION UPON THE DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF AMERICAN YOUTH

• NCJ Number: 45817
• Author(s): G A DETERS
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 44 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

USING SELECTED PUBLISHED STUDIES, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT TELEVISION'S MAIN IMPACT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR LIES IN ITS DISRUPTION OF POSITIVE FAMILY INTERACTION, THE FORMATIVE SOURCE FOR BEHAVIOR.

Abstract

THE CHARACTER OF INTERACTION WITHIN THE FAMILY IS SHOWN BY RELEVANT RESEARCH TO BE THE MAJOR FACTOR INFLUENCING BEHAVIOR, ATTITUDES, AND PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE LAW, SOCIAL NORMS, AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. THE CONTENT OF TELEVISION PROGRAMMING IS NOT BELIEVED TO BE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTING CAUSE OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR OR POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. THE TIME SPENT WATCHING TELEVISION, HOWEVER, IS SEEN AS A MAJOR FACTOR IN AFFECTING THE CHARACTER OF COMMUNICATION AND THE TRANSMISSION OF VALUES, ATTITUDES, AND MOTIVATIONS FROM PERSON TO PERSON WITHIN THE FAMILY. SHOULD TELEVISION WATCHING CONSUME AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE SPENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF POSITIVE FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, THEN IT IS BELIEVED TO CREATE A VACUUM THAT COULD WELL BE FILLED BY VARIOUS INFLUENCES LEADING TO DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AND LOW MOTIVATION IN ACADEMIC ENDEAVORS. (RCB)