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<H1>Study: Kids who watch TV more likely to bully</H1>
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<FONT size=1>Wednesday, April 6, 2005 Posted: 8:16 AM EDT (1216 GMT) </FONT><!-- /date --><BR></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV>
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<P><B style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- The more television
4-year-old children watch the more likely they are to become bullies later on in
school, a U.S. study said on Monday.</B></P>
<P>At the same time, children whose parents read to them, take them on outings
and just generally pay attention to them are less likely to become bullies, said
the report from the University of Washington.</P>
<P>Bullying can now be added "to the list of potential negative consequences of
excessive television viewing along with obesity, inattention and other types of
aggression," said Frederick Zimmerman who led the research.</P>
<P>"Our findings suggest some steps that can be taken with children to
potentially help prevent bullying. Maximizing cognitive stimulation and limiting
television watching in the early years of development might reduce children's
subsequent risk of becoming bullies," he added.</P>
<P>Previous research had indicated that emotional support from parents helps
young children develop empathy, self-regulation and social skills, making them
less likely to be bullies, said the report published in the April issue of the
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.</P>
<P>Researchers have also found that early gaps in learning and understanding may
make children less competent in dealing with their peers and that violence on
television leads to aggressive behavior, the report added.</P>
<P>The Washington study reached its conclusions by looking at data from a study
of 1,266 4-year-olds whose bullying -- based on assessments from their mothers
-- was tracked at ages 6 through 11. Overall, about 13 percent the children
turned out to be bullies.</P>
<P>The study also took into account the stimulation the children received as
measured by outings, reading, playing and what role the parents played in
teaching the children.</P>
<P>Whether the child ate meals with both parents, whether parents talked to the
child while working were also measured, along with the average number of hours
of television viewed.</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>