Change the impact of violent images that are seen. The best way to help children deal with violent television is to watch with them and talk to them about what they see. Find out what they understand and what they don't. Media literacy curricula provide a variety of tools to help parents and children analyze the techniques used to stage violent scenes and decode the various depictions of violence in different media genres —news, cartoons, drama, sports, and music. It is important for children to learn the difference between reality and fantasy at an early age and to know how costumes, camera angles, and special effects can fool them.
Don't simply say to kids, "Violence is bad for you and you shouldn't watch it." Instead, encourage them to develop an awareness of violence when they see it and understand its consequences through their own experience. Critical-thinking skills will stay with kids when you cant be there. Through guided practice, critical viewing can become an everyday habit for both children and adults.