Doctor's violence cure: No TV

Study author says NZ is more violent for children than realised, and parents can take action to help. Photo / Thinkstock

The author of a landmark study of violence against children says the easiest way for parents to do something about it is to turn off violent television shows.

The study of 2077 children aged 9 to 13 found that New Zealand "appears to be a more violent country for children than was previously realised".

Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of the children had been the victims of physical violence at some stage in their lives, and 53 per cent had suffered it in the year of the survey, compared with overseas rates of 50 per cent in the US and Italy and 33 per cent in Britain.

A similar number (66 per cent) had seen physical violence against other children, 27 per cent had seen it against adults and 90 per cent had seen it in the media.

Simply seeing physical violence against others, in the media and in real life, affected children more than suffering themselves - partly because four-fifths of the violence they suffered was inflicted by other children.

"Witnessing physical violence against adults and in the media had more impact on children than witnessing physical violence against other children," the study found.

The study's lead author, Dr Janis Carroll-Lind, said all kinds of experiences of violence contributed to problem behaviour.

"Where you have a child exposed to violence themselves, and maybe had an abusive childhood, watching violence on television is yet another trigger. That is the one thing that we could change quickly. Parents can make a choice as to what their children are watching or what video games they are playing."

Dr Carroll-Lind said she tried to reduce exposure to violence when her own children, now 30, 28 and 25, were growing up.

"But by the time they are teenagers the peer influence is very powerful," she said.

She surveyed NZ children for her Massey University doctorate, awarded in 2006.

The first academic paper on the study has just been published in the Social Policy Journal of NZ. Printed publication of the journal ended in 2009 because of Ministry of Social Development funding cuts and this month's issue is the first web-only edition.

Physical violence was defined for the children as "being punched, kicked, beaten or hit, or getting into a physical fight (punch-up)".

The study found "emotional violence" was even more prevalent, experienced by 80 per cent of the children. It was defined as "being threatened, called names, ganged up on, left out, not spoken to, narked on, gossiped about and having tales told about me".

One in nine children (11 per cent) had also suffered sexual violence - "having unwanted sexual touching or being asked to do unwanted sexual things". This was comparable with 12 per cent in a US survey.

The impact of the various kinds of violence was measured by asking children which items from a list were "the three worst things that ever happened to you".

Dr Carroll-Lind said schools, as well as parents, could help in reducing violence.

ON THE WEB

HARSH FACTS

* 53 per cent of NZ children suffered physical violence in the past year.

This compares with:

* 50 per cent of Italian and US children.

* 33 per cent of British children.