Cartoons Influence on Primary School Pupils Towards Violence and Aggression in Niger State (Published)
Screen plays, including cartoons, are a crucial part of children’s lives, helping to satisfy their energy and keep them engaged both at home and in school. Research has found that aggression and violence are prevalent among primary school pupils, and scholars have called for further investigation into the possible causes of this issue. Biological and personal factors such as family dynamics, fear of abandonment, punishment, sexual assault, and domestic violence have been studied extensively. However, little research has been conducted on the impact of entertainment media, specifically cartoons, on primary school students’ aggression and violence. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the influence of cartoons on the attitudes of children towards violence and aggression of primary school pupils in Niger state. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Purposive sampling technique was adopted in selecting 120 primary school pupils from 12 schools across the three senatorial zones in Niger state. Four research questions were answered and questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and T-test at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that cartoon had a positive influence on primary school pupils ( =1.44 on a threshold of 1.50). Also, it was discovered that cartoons affects pupils’ time to focus on productive tasks ( =1.62 on a threshold of 1.50), among others. The result of the difference between pupils’ reaction to cartoons based on gender showed that there was a significant difference (t = -3.28; df = 248; p<0.05). Also, the result of the difference between the reactions of pupils to cartoon among public and private schools pupils indicated that there was a significant difference (t = 2.70; df = 248; p<0.05). Following these findings, recommendations are made for parents to pay greater attention to presenting their children with carefully chosen cartoons that could have a positive impact on them. For the teachers, it was recommended that they should create a classroom environment that is less conducive to aggressive or violent behaviour so as to curb whatsoever the pupils might have learnt in their respective homes. Pupils are advised to be aware of their attitudes towards aggression and violence and take steps to stop such behaviour among themselves and their peers. Recommendations are made for curriculum planners to incorporate media literacy and social-emotional learning into the curriculum. Policy makers are advised to develop guidelines for media content, invest in research, and provide funding as these would aid in promoting positive attitudes towards aggression and violence among cartoon viewing pupils.
Keywords: Aggression, cartoon, primary school pupils, violence. entertainment