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<title> Upbringing and violence </title>
This essay will reflect on a topic, which is of present interest: the topic of violence among children and teenagers. Some general issues on this topic will be discussed such as social institutions, television and media. There are probably a lot more issues to be discussed but since I only have limited space to use these are the main issues.

Some people think the problem with elevating violence among children and teenagers has to do with the relatively new situation with two working parents. With two working parents the children have to grow up on a pre-school institution. The pressure on social institutions raises and society rely on the institutions to take on the responsibility of upbringing and not only of babysitting. But the institutions do not have the personnel capacity to do the same work one parent could do, some people argue. The effect is children without moral values, children who have not learnt to treat each other with respect, and in addition we get a more brutal society.

Another issue is the role television and movies have on upbringing. Some psychological studies show that a frequent exposure to violence on television and movies influences children and make them more inclined to do violence to other children. It is believed that if children, who are more receptive than adults, are exposed to violence, they think it is nothing wrong in using it. Mental barriers restraining children from acts of violence are subverted until they are gone completely. In contrast to these studies, other psychological studies show the opposite. These studies suggest that it is no harm in violence on television and in movies. Children understands the difference between movies and real life, and it can in fact help them to get rid of aggressions by watching violence on TV.

One issue close to television and movies is the computer and video games. With computer and video games being interactive, the effect it has on the children regarding their tendencies to do violence to other should be even more increased. 

But just like television and movies, it could as some studies have shown, have the effect of being used as a means to take out ones anger on a computer instead on a person.

Another issue, to some extent a part of television, is news media. No matter if it is a newspaper or a news bulletin, some people say it creates violence by the massive reporting of war, murder and other violence. As with television the mental barriers are subverted. 

It could be one of those issues discussed above that has elevated violence in society among children, but it could as well be some other factor not given any regards. If television where to be censured and social institutions given personnel enough to educate it's pupils, maybe violence still would elevate. Who 
can tell?

One possibility has not been discussed at all so far: In contrast with the above paragraphs, some people would say violence among children and teenagers have not elevated at all. It is not violence itself, which is elevating, but it is the news media reporting more frequent on acts of violence. The commercial values of headlines such as "Twelve year old girl quartered by fifteen year old boy!" is enormous and so they are given much room in the newspapers. 

It all comes down to one thing: what should the parents do? Should one parent stay at home all the time, which most of the households can not afford these days? Are they to trust the social institutions? Does television effect their children in a bad way or in a good way? Are video games harmful or are they on the contrary good therapeutic instruments? Or is this discussion relevant at all if the violence among children does not, as some people say, elevate? And even if it is elevating, who can say whether it has to do with these issues or some other issue not given any thoughts? However, this topic is probably one of the most important ones right now after what happened in Arvika last year, and the discussion will most certainly continue in the future.
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