The Impact of Watching Violent Television Programs on Secondary School Children in Tanzania

Violent television programs are highly preferred by children. They stimulate their emotions and increase curiosity about violence-related issues. This means that watching violent television programs has an impact upon their way of perceiving the world around them and acting in response to it. This study investigated the impacts of watching violent television programs on secondary school children in Tanzania. The specific objectives were: to examine childrens accessibility to the TV ascertain the types of violent TV programs and the time children spend watching them determine the ways in which watching violent TV programs affects their academic performance find out the impact of watching violent TV programs on their discipline and examine the role of parents in addressing the impacts of watching violent TV programs upon their children. Results indicate that most secondary school children watch violent TV programs at home in the sitting rooms. They spend an average of three hours per day on weekdays and seven-and-half hours on weekends watching movies music drama and informational programs that were identified as the most violent ones. Obviously spending lots of time watching violent TV programs decreases childrens academic performance and discipline. This book is important because it discusses the parents role in discouraging and limiting children from watching violent TV programs and choosing appropriate TV programs for them. [Masiba] has proved beyond doubt that watching violent and non-violent television programs has negative impacts on the academic performance and discipline among secondary school children in Mbeya council and Tanzania as a whole. This is a must-read book and a wake-up call to policy makers teachers parents and guardians to take heed of the recommendations that they monitor and restrict television watching by children in order to nurture and bring up responsible citizens. --Uswege M. Minga Professor Provost Tumaini University Makumira Tanzania [Masiba] has been thorough. To students teachers parents the academia educationists the media and policy makers I highly commend this book. -- Mark James Mwandosya Chancellor of the Mbeya University of Science and Technology United Republic of Tanzania Watson Lupogo Masiba (MA Applied Psychology University of Dar es Salaam Tanzania 2001; PhM New Testament Norwegian Lutheran School of Theology Oslo Norway 2004) is Assistant Lecturer in Educational Psychology at Tumaini University Makumira-Mbeya Teaching Centre in Mbeya Tanzania and minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania Konde Diocese.