20 March 2012

BEIRUT: Widely renowned for pushing the boundaries of what constitutes “graphic imagery,” Middle Eastern media, whether broadcast or print, have perhaps stretched the level of acceptability even further since the Arab Spring.

Lebanese and Arab television channels and newspapers have been unafraid to show seemingly endless footage of bloodied, tortured corpses and decapitated bodies, and their mourning relatives.

While these images are shocking to adults, they are able to view them through a certain level of understanding of the situation. But what about child viewers who may stumble upon such images? How does such imagery affect them?

Some channels display a warning message, whether as an audio clip or as text, ahead of graphic content, but many violent images still slip through the net, displayed as part of promotion packages ahead of an upcoming program.

Ketty Sarouphim, associate professor of psychology at the Lebanese American University, who specializes in childhood education, says that such violent images undoubtedly have a negative effect on children.

The effect of violence in the media on children has been documented time and time again over the years, she says, and “without any exception [the studies] have shown that children who watch violence are more prone to becoming aggressive themselves.”

“There is no doubt in our mind that watching violence is detrimental in all respects. There is no advantage to watching violent images at all,” Sarouphim adds.

Those child viewers who will be more prone to displaying such violent behavior themselves are more likely to have an aggressive family situation, she says, but for those, viewing such images on TV, for example, will “make it seem alright. They think, ‘OK ... these adults are hitting one another, and why don’t I do the same? It must be OK to do that.”

Other children, she says, may have nightmares, or wake up during the night and start screaming, after seeing such images, but this is natural, Sarouphim says.

Sarah Mallat, from the department of sociology, anthropology and media studies at the American University of Beirut, covers the issue in her Digital Media Literacy course. Mallat says that the high prevalence of graphic content in entertainment-related media, such as cartoons and video games, means that “children are increasingly becoming desensitized to such content.”

This phenomenon has ramifications, she says, when children then watch graphic news-related content.

“Once children are old enough to discern between news and entertainment, reality and fiction, such content can create feelings of confusion and insecurity; especially as they try to understand and internalize how these images relate to their own life and how close the proximity of danger is to them and those they love.

“This is not to say that they should be completely sheltered from news and important world events, but their exposure should be limited,” she adds.

“If parents decide to allow their children access to such information, they should discuss these issues with their kids: Open and honest dialogue can increase their understanding and minimize confusion,” she says, “thus, reducing the likelihood of fear, stress, or other harmful emotions as a result to exposure.”

If children do happen to see violent images, Sarouphim says, it is fundamental that parents honestly discuss these and what they represent with their kids.

“It is okay to be truthful with children,” she says, “it just depends on how we say it. So we shouldn’t lie: We should say, ‘yes there is a war in Syria, yes there are problems in the world.’ It is fine to tell children all of this.”

If children are being inquisitive and want to know what is happening across the border, do not shelter them or pretend the corpses are just actors in a fictional program, she adds.

“It is OK to be truthful and say, ‘Well you know, bad things happen to good people or bad things happen in the world, and this is the way it is.”

It is the parent’s responsibility, she says, that while admitting to children that wars do happen and people die in wars, “to provide comfort and reassurance.” It is also vital, Sarouphim adds, for children to learn how to protect themselves. “This is actually the major job, the central job of parents: to make sure their children will survive in a cruel world.”

Childhood fears generally peak from the age of 4 to 10, she says, and it is during this time that worries over being separated from their parents are strongest, so fears sparked by witnessing such images in the media may manifest themselves through anxiety over their parents’ safety.

If a child asks questions to which the parent does not know the answer, it is imperative not to lie, Sarouphim says. So if a child asks, for example, if violence could spread from Syria to Lebanon, don’t say, “‘Nothing’s going to happen, everything’s fine, don’t worry.’ I don’t think we should say these things to children, because if something bad then does happen, they will never believe you again.”

Instead, she says, tell children the truth: “I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, and maybe bad things will happen here too but don’t worry because I am here and I will always be here for you and I will make sure that you’re OK.”

Also, Sarouphim adds, stress that “It is my job to worry, and not yours. So let me worry about this, and you finish playing.”

Both Sarouphim and Mallat support the introduction of warnings ahead of any such graphic images.

“And not just for the sake of younger viewers,” Mallat says. “All viewers have the right to know what they are about to watch, and to make an informed decision whether they choose to do so or not. It is the news media’s responsibility to inform their audience of this prior to showing such images.”

Sarouphim also stresses the necessity to keep computers in a common living space, and not to allow children to have televisions in their bedrooms.

“It is natural for parents to want to protect their children from harm and everything bad that might happen to them in the world. Unfortunately, the reality is, you can’t. Children will fall down when they’re trying to walk,” she says.

“It is part of being human and living in a real world. But your job is to pick them up when they fall.”

Copyright The Daily Star 2012.