Studies show that children’s exposure to violent media increases aggression (Browne & Hamilton-Giachritsis, 2005). Alternatively, in some cases parental involvement suppresses aggression (Singh et al., 2006). We hypothesized that children’s behavior would be less aggressive after viewing a violent cartoon with an aggression-disapproving adult (ADA) than with a silent adult (control condition). Second and third graders (6 boys, 10 girls) were randomly assigned to either the ADA or control condition to watch a violent cartoon clip. Afterwards, children played with a variety of toys while observers recorded their behaviors using a 30-second time-sampling method. Children in the ADA condition showed significantly less toy and verbal aggression than those in the control. The parental role in children’s media viewing is discussed.

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