Learning the Deviant Behavior among Children by Watching Animated Series (An Analytical Study)

Khawlah M. AL-Tkhayneh1

Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of watching animated series
displayed via the various communication channels, such as TV and YouTube on
children’s behavior, where episodes from well-known animated series were
analyzed to identify how some animated series contribute to child’s acquisition of
deviant behaviors according to social learning theory and other theories of
criminology. To achieve the study objectives, the researcher used a content-analysis
approach to analyze the content of two animated series that display inappropriate
content. The study sample consisted of (100) episodes of the animated series (X1)
and (30) episodes of the animated series (X2). The results revealed that the programs
and content displayed in some animated series don’t achieve the purpose for which
they were designed, and some of them teach children the methods of deviance. The
study recommended the necessity of imposing official surveillance on children’s
animated series displayed on some Arabic and international channels, analyzing
them, and verifying the safety of their content by specialists to ensure their
appropriateness for the targeted group before displaying them.

Keywords: Deviance, animated series, social learning, children.