The doctoral thesis titled "The Effect of Violence on Television on Preschool Children Through Cartoons," written by Özgür Özen in 2015, sheds light on the relationship of today's children with the media. The study focuses on how children are affected by television and cartoons during the preschool period, which is one of the most critical stages of child development. This research evaluates the presence of violent elements in cartoons, their types, and their potential effects on children's behaviors from a scientific perspective.

Within the scope of the research, a total of 49 cartoons selected from seven different children's channels most watched in Turkey were examined. The methodology of the study includes a detailed analysis approach based on the duration, content, production type (domestic/foreign) of each cartoon, and the presence of violent elements. Shot scales and types of violence (physical, verbal, emotional) were meticulously noted. The obtained data reveals the content profiles of children's channels and the possible risks of these profiles for child development.

According to the main findings of the study, a significant portion (61.22%) of the examined cartoons contains violent content. This situation shows that violence is a common phenomenon in children's channels. It was determined that the overwhelming majority (96.67%) of cartoons containing violence are foreign productions. In the analyses conducted, it was found that the most common type of violence is physical violence (53.06%), followed by verbal (48.98%) and emotional (22.44%) violence. In particular, while it is observed that the contents on the state channel TRT Çocuk and the private channel Yumurcak TV do not contain violence; violent elements are found in every cartoon examined on other channels such as Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, and MinikaGO. These findings reveal the potential impact of channel policies and content choices on children.

Preschool children, in particular, tend to model and imitate the behaviors they see. The research points out that cartoons containing violence can lead to false perceptions, such as the idea that violence is a valid method for solving problems. It is emphasized that children can reflect the aggressive behaviors of cartoon heroes in their games and peer relationships. This situation can have negative effects on the social and emotional development of children. Therefore, it is of great importance for parents to watch programs together with their children, evaluate the contents, and guide them. In addition, increasing domestic cartoon productions helps children learn the values of their own culture and protects them from the effects of foreign broadcasts containing violence.

We thank Özgür Özen for conducting this valuable study. You can access the full thesis via www.tez.yok.gov.tr using the code 413930.