Post by The Hammer on Aug 7, 2006 22:33:29 GMT -5
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Monday, August 7, 2006
Study: Watching pro wrestling may have bad effect on teens
By M. Paul Jackson
JOURNAL REPORTER
Professional wrestling might be more entertainment than sport, but that doesn't make it safe for young people.
That's the warning from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, who said that adolescents who watch wrestling on television are more prone to violent behaviors than other young people.
The findings, released today, are published in this month's issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Pro-wrestling officials challenged the Wake Forest findings.
Gary Davis, the spokesman for World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., which is based in Connecticut, said that the Wake Forest study ignores the positive changes that the pro-wrestling industry can have on adolescents, including helping to develop their self-esteem and confidence.
"From a real-life perspective, we know the brand can have a lot of positive impacts on society," Davis said. "There are lot of good studies out there, but unfortunately, I think this study has a lot of flaws."
According to the study of North Carolina high-school students, adolescents who watched televised wrestling fought more with dating partners and exhibited other violent behaviors. Young people who watch wrestling are also exposed to a high frequency of violence between men and women, alcohol use and derogatory terms for women, the study said.
"The very clear impression that I have is that most of these fine, upstanding families really don't have a clue of the effect it's having on their children," said Robert DuRant, a professor of pediatrics and social science at Brenner Children's Hospital. DuRant is also the study's lead author.
"There really is no safe dosage of wrestling for these kids," he said.
Brenner Children's Hospital, like Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is a part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Professional wrestling is a wildly popular entertainment sport that pits colorful wrestlers against each other weekly. It is dominated by World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., which airs shows such as RAW, Smackdown and SummerSlam. The WWE reported about $47 million in net income during its last fiscal year.
The Wake Forest study took about seven months to complete. Researchers asked a random sample of 2,228 high-school students in North Carolina how many times they had watched wrestling on TV in the past two weeks. Among males, about 63 percent had watched wrestling and about 25 percent had watched it six times or more in a two-week period.
Among females, 35.1 percent had watched wrestling and 9.1 percent had watched it six times or more.
In the males, watching wrestling was associated with starting a fight with a date, alcohol or drug use and even carrying a weapon, according to the study. Females who watched wrestling exhibited similar behavior, DuRant said.
Davis, the wrestling spokesman, said that factors other than professional wrestling could influence adolescents to act violently.
Because adult parents are unaffected by professional wrestling, many think that their children are as well, DuRant said. He suggested that parents should prohibit their children from watching pro wrestling.
"This study shows that the incidence of fighting with dating partners and other violence increases when the exposure to violence increases," DuRant said. "Wrestling doesn't in itself cause violence, but when combined with overall socialization, violence on television can affect what is perceived as socially acceptable behavior."
• M. Paul Jackson can be reached at (336) 727-7473 or at mjackson@wsjournal.com.
Monday, August 7, 2006
Study: Watching pro wrestling may have bad effect on teens
By M. Paul Jackson
JOURNAL REPORTER
Professional wrestling might be more entertainment than sport, but that doesn't make it safe for young people.
That's the warning from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, who said that adolescents who watch wrestling on television are more prone to violent behaviors than other young people.
The findings, released today, are published in this month's issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Pro-wrestling officials challenged the Wake Forest findings.
Gary Davis, the spokesman for World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., which is based in Connecticut, said that the Wake Forest study ignores the positive changes that the pro-wrestling industry can have on adolescents, including helping to develop their self-esteem and confidence.
"From a real-life perspective, we know the brand can have a lot of positive impacts on society," Davis said. "There are lot of good studies out there, but unfortunately, I think this study has a lot of flaws."
According to the study of North Carolina high-school students, adolescents who watched televised wrestling fought more with dating partners and exhibited other violent behaviors. Young people who watch wrestling are also exposed to a high frequency of violence between men and women, alcohol use and derogatory terms for women, the study said.
"The very clear impression that I have is that most of these fine, upstanding families really don't have a clue of the effect it's having on their children," said Robert DuRant, a professor of pediatrics and social science at Brenner Children's Hospital. DuRant is also the study's lead author.
"There really is no safe dosage of wrestling for these kids," he said.
Brenner Children's Hospital, like Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is a part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Professional wrestling is a wildly popular entertainment sport that pits colorful wrestlers against each other weekly. It is dominated by World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., which airs shows such as RAW, Smackdown and SummerSlam. The WWE reported about $47 million in net income during its last fiscal year.
The Wake Forest study took about seven months to complete. Researchers asked a random sample of 2,228 high-school students in North Carolina how many times they had watched wrestling on TV in the past two weeks. Among males, about 63 percent had watched wrestling and about 25 percent had watched it six times or more in a two-week period.
Among females, 35.1 percent had watched wrestling and 9.1 percent had watched it six times or more.
In the males, watching wrestling was associated with starting a fight with a date, alcohol or drug use and even carrying a weapon, according to the study. Females who watched wrestling exhibited similar behavior, DuRant said.
Davis, the wrestling spokesman, said that factors other than professional wrestling could influence adolescents to act violently.
Because adult parents are unaffected by professional wrestling, many think that their children are as well, DuRant said. He suggested that parents should prohibit their children from watching pro wrestling.
"This study shows that the incidence of fighting with dating partners and other violence increases when the exposure to violence increases," DuRant said. "Wrestling doesn't in itself cause violence, but when combined with overall socialization, violence on television can affect what is perceived as socially acceptable behavior."
• M. Paul Jackson can be reached at (336) 727-7473 or at mjackson@wsjournal.com.
