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Every household in America owns an outlet of violence, often overlooked, where children are drawn into a realistic violent world that is television.

Children, on average, watch six hours of television a day. Isn't there something else they could be doing besides filling their minds with that hot new toy they have to have the next time they go to the store, or the hip new video game just released?

Research shows that watching television is a key source of violent behavior in children and may often lead to lifelong effects, including aggressiveness and physical violence towards their friends or spouse.

Parents have ignored the facts, maybe hoping it will somehow go away, but the statistics have become undeniable.

"Teenagers who watched more than three hours a day of television were much more likely than those who watched less than one hour a day of television to commit subsequent acts of aggression against other people," Columbia University's Jeffrey Johnson said in an interview with CNN. Children first begin learning by imitating. When they watch their favorite cartoon character fight the bad guy, they may end up using the same actions when something occurs at school.

"Movies like 'Star Wars,' even 'Peter Pan,' cause kids to think it is OK to be violent. The kid I babysat grabbed a knife when his dad was home and asked who wanted to play Peter Pan," said Attleboro High School student Alexandra Vitiello.

According to the American Psychological Association, research shows there are three major effects on children watching violence: They become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, they become fearful of the world around them, and they may be more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others.

Attleboro High School history teacher David Sawyer said, "I don't set limits on how much TV my children watch or turn it off on principle, but I don't use the TV as a babysitter. I don't believe children become violent adults as a result of TV. In fact, I watched violent programming when I was a kid. Violence is a factor, not a cause."

Studies by Dr. George Gerbner at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that children who watch a lot of television are more likely to think the world is a mean and dangerous place

Attleboro High School Early Education and Care teacher Susan Edmonds said, "When kids watch shows like 'Ben 10,' 'Power Rangers,' 'Ninja Turtles,' or any other violent show, it becomes their focus of play. It has a real negative impact on their ability to play creatively. As kids become older, they move on to video games and shows that are more violent. As a result, they become desensitized to pain and it distorts their vision of reality. They can no longer see a difference between reality and the shows or games."

Children often behave differently after they've been watching violent programs on television. In a study done at Penn State University, about 100 preschool children were observed before and after watching shows. Half the children watched violent shows, and the other half watched non-violent shows. The researchers noticed differences among the children who watched the violent programs. They showed different behaviors and were more likely to argue with playmates and disobey class rules.

"My neighbor once thought he was a Power Ranger and was throwing rocks at people. The next day he thought he was a ninja and climbed up a tree with a dog and threatened people," said AHS student Katelyn Hart.

English teacher Anna Cordeiro said, "I do let my child watch TV, however, I try to stick with shows that have no commercials or have very little. The TV shouldn't be used as a babysitter, but rather as interactive learning. Children don't understand the difference between reality and TV, which is why I sit down with my daughter and explain to her what it going on. I try not to let my child watch too much TV, so instead I take her outside, to the park, read or play games with her."

AHS Principal Donald Fredrick said, "Violence has become really significant in today's TV programming. I do see my grandchildren sword fight and do fake karate from time to time. I try to censor what they watch by watching the Science Channel with them. We enjoy watching 'How it's Made,' 'Master Blasters' and 'Survivorman' together." Parents can add controls from their cable provider that lock channels to ensure that a child can't watch certain programs. Contact your cable provider for more information.

Edmonds said, "For new parents, it is important to know the limit of watching TV for their children. They should follow the recommendation of two hours a day of media entertainment for children over the age of 2, and children under 2 should not watch TV at all. Parents can engage them in play, go outside, play games or read instead of watching TV."

With children watching less violent television, the world can become a better, peaceful place, one channel at a time.