Community of Family Relations and
Human Development Breakfast
Violence and Technology:
The Role of Social
Networking and Technology
Dr. Bill Ganza
Director of Faculty Development – FSCJ
 President of the Florida Association for
the Education of Young Children
 Collaborative Partner for Adults and
Children Together Against Violence (ACT)
 Educational Trainer and Consultant
 Former Early Care Center Director
 Professor of Sociology, Psychology, and
Education

Welcome and Objectives
Engage the FRHD Community to learn
more about violence through technology.
 Obtaining resources to utilize in
classroom teaching.
 Interaction within the community to
strengthen the network of family and
human development professionals.

Old Problem – New Twist
Film in the 1900’s
 Radio in the 1920’s
 TV in the 1940’s
 Internet in the 1990’s
 Social Media in the 2010’s

The technology changes but the concern
remains the same – protecting children.
Violence Statistics - Overall
Violence Statistics - Murder
Violence Statistics – 5 Years Pattern
FBI.gov
Violence Statistics – Change
Role of Mass Media
Media Examples
Effects of Media Violence on Youth
Research on violent television and films, video
games, and music reveals that media violence
increases the likelihood of aggressive and
violent behavior in both immediate and longterm contexts
 Short-term exposure increases the likelihood of
physically and verbally aggressive behavior,
aggressive thoughts, and aggressive
emotions.
 Media violence produces long-term effects via
several types of learning processes and reduces
individuals' normal negative emotional
responses to violence (i.e., desensitization).

Media Violence Statistics
Media Violence Statistics

Research indicates that media violence has not just
increased in quantity; it has also become more
graphic, sexual, and sadistic.

A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report
showed that 80 percent of “R” rated movies, 70
percent of restricted video games, and 100
percent of music with “explicit content” warning
labels were being marketed to children under
17.

By the time the average child is eighteen years old,
they will have witnessed 200,000 acts of
violence and 16,000 murders.
Media Violence Statistics

Media violence is especially damaging to
young children (under 8) because they
cannot easily tell the difference between real
life and fantasy.

Despite falling crime rates across North
America, disturbing images of violent crime
continue to dominate news broadcasting.

Around two-thirds of Hollywood films
released are rated “R.”
Media Violence Statistics

Surveys have found that 82 percent of the
American public consider movies too violent.

Most of the top-selling video games (89%)
contained violent content, almost half of which
was of a serious nature.

The highly criticized video game Grand Theft
Auto 3 was initially banned in Australia for its
graphic violence and sexual content. The
game grossed $300 million in the United States
by the end of 2002.
Media Violence Statistics

The level of violence during Saturday
morning cartoons is higher than the level
of violence during prime time. There are 3-5
violent acts per hour in prime time, versus
20-25 acts per hour on Saturday morning.

Nearly 75 percent of violent scenes on
television feature no immediate
punishment for or condemnation of
violence.
SURPRISED?
Surprised by these numbers?
Surprised by the violence in society?
Some Important Definitions
Aggression

Hostile or violent behavior or attitudes
toward a person or thing with the intent
of harm
Electronic Aggression
Any type of harassment or
bullying that occurs though
e-mail, a chat room, instant
messages, website, text
messaging, social media, etc.
CDC (2014) Technology and Youth: Protecting
your child from electronic aggression
Cyber bullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place
using electronic technology.
Examples of cyberbullying include mean
text messages or emails, rumors sent by
email or posted on social networking sites,
and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites,
or fake profiles.
Social Networking

Sites which are web-based and allow
individuals to create a public profile to
create a list of users with whom to share
connections
Technology

Is the collection of techniques, methods
or processes used in the production of
goods or services or in the
accomplishment of an objective.
Young Children and Violence
Young Children and Violence

Children learn by observing and
imitating people around them and from
their experiences?

Violence can be physical, emotional,
sexual; and neglect is also a form of
violence

Children can be involved with violence as
victims, aggressors, or witnesses
Young children and violence

There are two forms of violence
◦ Instrumental aggression:
When children cause harm to someone to get
something they want
◦ Relational aggression:
When they hurt someone to get revenge or
to dominate
Cyberbullying
Cyberbyllying
25 percent of teenagers report that they
have experienced repeated bullying
via their cell phone or on the internet.
 Over half (52 percent) off young
people report being cyber bullied.

Cyberbullying

Embarrassing or damaging
photographs taken without the
knowledge or consent of the subject has
been reported by 11 percent of
adolescents and teens.
Cyber bullying

Of the young people who reported cyber
bullying incidents against them, one-third
(33 percent) of them reported that their
bullies issued online threats.
Cyber bullying
Often, both bullies and cyber bullies turn
to hate speech to victimize their target.
One-tenth of all middle school and high
school students have been on the
receiving end of ‘hate terms’ hurled
against them.
 Over half (55 percent) of all teens who
use social media have witnessed outright
bullying via that medium.

Prevent Cyberbullying

Be aware of what kids are doing online
◦
◦
◦
◦
Chat with kids
Know the sites they go to
“Friend” or “follow” your child.
Establish open communication so your child
can confide in you if something happens.
Tips for Parents and Caregivers
Talk to your child
 Develop rules
 Explore the internet
 Talk with other parents and caregivers
 Connect with the school
 Educate yourself

Prevent Cyberbullying

Establish rules about technology use
◦ Computers, phones, and other devices
◦ Be clear about the sites they can and can not
go to.
◦ Help them be “smart” about what they say
online
◦ Protect passwords – set a good example!
Prevent Bullying - Schools

Rules and policies
◦ Mission statement
◦ Student bill of rights

Integrate rules and policies into the
culture
◦ Include all
◦ Offer training

Have a reporting system
Protecting Children/Prevent Violence

The ultimate goal is to stop youth
violence before it starts.
Protecting Children/Prevent Violence

Parent- and family-based programs improve
family relations. Parents receive training
on child development. They also learn skills
for talking with their kids and solving
problems in nonviolent ways.

Social-development strategies teach children
how to handle tough social situations.
They learn how to resolve problems without
using violence.
Protecting Children/Prevent Violence

Mentoring programs pair an adult with a
young person. The adult serves as a
positive role model and helps guide the
young person’s behavior.

Changes can be made to the physical and
social environment. These changes
address the social and economic
causes of violence
CDC 4 Step Approach
Define the problem
 Identify risk and protective factors
 Develop and test prevention strategies
 Ensure widespread adoption

Resources
Resource – Stop Bullying
Adults and Children Against
Violence
Children’s Safety Network
Second Step
Resources
Adults and Children Together Against
Violence http://actagainstviolence.apa.org/
 Children’s Safety Network
http://www.childrenssafetynetwork.org/inj
urytopics/youth-violence-prevention
 National Crime Prevention Council
http://www.ncpc.org/topics/bullying/strate
gies/strategy-violence-prevention-andproblem-solving-education-for-children

Additional Resources
Committee for Children (Second Step)
http://www.cfchildren.org/
 Centers for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pu
b/EA-tipsheet.html
