Children's and Parents' Fright Reactions to Kidnapping Stories in the News

Barbara J. Wilson · Nicole Martins · Amy L. Marske

55 citations0/0 files storedCommunication Monographs

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Media Studies and Communication Child Development and Digital Technology Media Influence and Health

Abstract

We conducted a random telephone survey of 182 parents to assess their reactions as well as their children's reactions to child kidnapping stories in the news. Children below age 13 experienced more fright-related feelings and more concern for their personal safety than adolescents did. Children who were heavy viewers of TV news also were more frightened. Parents rated themselves as more upset by the stories than their children were. Parents' fright responses and coping strategies were more prevalent among those who paid close attention to the high-profile news stories and those who regularly viewed TV series about missing persons. The findings are discussed in terms of cultivation theory and developmental differences in how children process information.

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References

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2008Media and Children's Aggression, Fear, and Altruism 2011Racial and Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Children’s Television Use and Self-Esteem 2007Parental Mediation of Children's Emotional Responses to a Violent News Event 2014Medical Dramas and Viewer Perception of Health: Testing Cultivation Effects 2013Grey’s Anatomy Viewing and Organ Donation Attitude Formation 2012An examination of gender and age in print media accounts of child abductions

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