Children and adolescents who watch a lot of television are more
likely to become involved in antisocial and criminal behaviour
as adults, a University of Otago study indicates. One of the
study co-authors, Associate Prof Bob Hancox, said the research
showed the issue of excessive television watching needed to be
''taken seriously''. Researchers found the risk of a criminal
conviction by early adulthood increased by about 30% with every
hour children spent watching TV on an average week night. And
watching more television in childhood was associated, later,
with aggressive personality traits and an increased tendency to
experience negative emotions.There was also an increased risk of
developing an antisocial personality disorder; a psychiatric
disorder characterised by persistent patterns of aggressive and
antisocial behaviour, the study found. Prof Hancox said the
study ''provides further evidence that excessive TV watching can
lead to poor behaviour''. The study, co-authored by Lindsay
Robertson, Prof Hancox