Risk factors for aggressive behavior among 3 year olds: Does television viewing play a role?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television for children ages 0 to 2, and no more than 2 hours of television viewing per day for children ages 3 and older (AAP, 2006). However, many children are exposed to more than 2 hours of television each day. There are many factors that can influence aggressive behavior, including media use. Using data from the Fragile Families study, a longitudinal study collecting data from parents of children born between 1998 and 2000 (n=4,898) from 16 cities, we examined the relationship between the amount of time children spent watching television with measures of aggressive behavior. We conducted bivariate analysis using Chi-square tests to compare each of the aggressive behavior variables with high vs. low television viewing. We then conducted logistic regressions for those measures with significant bivariate results, controlling for other factors known to contribute to aggression. Thirty-one percent of mothers reported that their children watched 2 or less hours of television per day, while 69% reported 3 or more hours of TV viewing. Of the 10 aggressive behavior variables we looked at, preliminary analysis suggests that 3 year old children who watch more than two hours of television on a typical weekday are more likely to engage in aggressive behavior than children who watch 2 hours of television or less. Implications of these findings will be discussed.