American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

About the author: The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is a national professional medical association representing over 6,500 child and adolescent psychiatrists. The AACAP issued the following joint statement in conjunction with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, and the American Medical Association.

Media violence is certainly not the sole or the most important factor contributing to youth violence, nor is censorship of violent media an effective solution to the problem. Nevertheless, numerous studies point to a causal connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children. Media violence can harm children in several ways: 1) by conditioning them to accept violence as a way of settling conflicts, 2) by desensitizing them toward real-life violence, 3) by making them more afraid that they will become victims of violence, and 4) by causing them...