Child Exposure to Violent Content and Aggression: A Novel Approach to an Old Debate

Fabricio de Andrade Rocha; Nicolas Gilbert; Carol Tabares Velasquez; Vincent Bégin; Gabrielle Garon-Carrier; Caroline Fitzpatrick

doi:10.1016/j.acap.2025.102879

Child Exposure to Violent Content and Aggression: A Novel Approach to an Old Debate

Acad Pediatr. 2025 Jun 29:102879. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2025.102879. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Fabricio de Andrade Rocha¹, Nicolas Gilbert², Carol Tabares Velasquez³, Vincent Bégin⁴, Gabrielle Garon-Carrier⁵, Caroline Fitzpatrick⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Preschool and Elementary School Education and Department of Psychoeducation, Faculty of Education, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Bd de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1N 3C6, Canada. Electronic address: fabricio.de.andrade.rocha@usherbrooke.ca.
² Department of Psychoeducation, Faculty of Education, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Bd de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1N 3C6, Canada. Electronic address: nicolas.gilbert2@usherbrooke.ca.
³ Department of Psychoeducation, Faculty of Education, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Bd de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1N 3C6, Canada. Electronic address: cdtabaresv@correo.usbcali.edu.co.
⁴ Department of Psychoeducation, Faculty of Education, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Bd de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1N 3C6, Canada; Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, Montreal, QC, Canada. Electronic address: vincent.begin@usherbrooke.ca.
⁵ Department of Psychoeducation, Faculty of Education, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Bd de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1N 3C6, Canada. Electronic address: gabrielle.garon-carrier@usherbrooke.ca.
⁶ Department of Preschool and Elementary School Education, Faculty of Education, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Bd de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1N 3C6; Department of childhood education, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa. Electronic address: caroline.fitzpatrick@Usherbrooke.ca.

PMID: 40592380
DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2025.102879

Abstract

Objective: Our objective is to examine bi-directional, within-person associations between early childhood exposure to violent content in boys and girls and the development of reactive and proactive aggression.

Method: Data are from 975 girls and 987 boys from Quebec, Canada, followed in the context of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD; 1998-2023). Parents reported child exposure to violent TV content and proactive and reactive aggression at ages 4, 5, and 6. Data were analyzed using Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models.

Results: Greater exposure to violent content at ages 4 was associated with within-person increases in reactive aggression by age 5 in boys (β = 0.16, 95% CI = [.050,.261]) and girls (β = 0.13, CI = [.004,.229]). In addition, greater proactive aggression at age 4 was associated with a within-person decrease in exposure to violent content by age 5 in boys (β = -0.08, 95% CI = [-.174, -.003]) and girls (β = -.09, 95% CI = [-.174, -.009]). A similar pattern was observed for boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 6 (β = -0.08, 95% CI = [-.167, -.003] for boys and β = -.10, 95% CI = [-.194, -.010] for girls).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest a positive association between early childhood exposure to violent content and the development of reactive aggression. Greater child proactive aggression was also associated with reduced exposure to violent content, suggesting that parents may adopt a reactive, rather than preventive approach when monitoring child media habits.

Keywords: Aggression; Child; Media violence; Proactive aggression; Reactive aggression.