Impact of Violence Exposure on Aggression, Anxiety, and Hostility Among Male Adolescent Students

Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by substantial cognitive, emotional, and social change and is therefore an important stage for examining factors that may influence aggressive and anxiety-related responses. The present study examined whether exposure to violent audiovisual material was associated with changes in aggression, anxiety, and hostility among male adolescent students. A one-group pretest–posttest repeated-measures design was used with 100 male adolescent students. Participants completed measures of aggression and anxiety before exposure and again following exposure to approximately 30 minutes of violent movie clips. Aggression was assessed using the R. L. Bhardwaj Aggression Scale and the Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire, while anxiety was assessed using the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory. Paired-samples t tests were used to compare pre-exposure and post-exposure scores. Mean aggression scores increased from 81.90 (SD = 8.20) before exposure to 103.70 (SD = 15.60) after exposure, t(99) = 12.08, p < .001, d_z = 1.21. State anxiety increased from 40.60 (SD = 10.10) to 47.60 (SD = 5.20), t(99) = 6.03, p < .001, d_z = 0.60, and trait anxiety increased from 42.90 (SD = 8.80) to 50.90 (SD = 5.90), t(99) = 7.73, p < .001, d_z = 0.77. Significant increases were also observed in physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. The findings indicate that violent media exposure was followed by higher self-reported aggression, anxiety, and hostility in this sample. Because the design lacked a comparison group, the results should be interpreted as evidence of significant pre–post change rather than definitive proof of a causal effect. The findings nevertheless support the importance of media-literacy education, parental mediation, and school-based awareness regarding violent media content.

adolescent development, aggression, anxiety, hostility, media violence, violent media exposure

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