In a majestic exercise of stating the obvious, a recent study published in Pediatrics magazine links violent behavior in teens to exposure to violent media.

"Our findings add to the growing evidence that violence in the media is related to aggressive behavior, including seriously violent behavior among youths," Dr. Michele L. Ybarra of Internet Solutions for Kids in Santa Ana, California and her colleagues report. "Reduction in youths' exposure to violent media should be viewed as an important aspect of violence prevention."

In the report Ybarra claims that media violence is the "single most easily remediable contributing factor" to youths going ape and butchering their buddies. A survey of 1,588 teens aged 10 to 15 claims that five percent of the surveyed teens engaged in violent behavior, while 38 percent of them claim to have visited at least one type of violent Website. This, obviously, proves absolutely nothing.

First of all, we're not sure what exactly qualifies a violent Website as such. Ah yes, sites that feature "real people fighting, shooting or killing." In other words, CNN and Fox News. The study claims the chances of a teen going violent increase with additional violent media content consumed by the poor kids. So, keep your offspring away from: violent TV shows, movies, music, games or Internet sites.

Oddly enough, they fail to mention violent books, so if you see them reading A Clockwork Orange, Mein Kampf, American Psycho, Trainspotting, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, don't worry, they'll do just fine.

Just don't let them watch the news.

More here.