A study found a link between children looking up to superheroes and aggressive behavior, as preschoolers and kindergarteners focus on physical traits rather than moral lessons. However, parents can encourage positive behaviors by interacting with their children and building on benign reactions to superheroes.
Superheroes like Batman and Spiderman entered American pop culture because of their stated desire to fight injustice and save the unfortunate. In Batman’s case, this unwavering passion to stop crime and bring criminals to justice began when his parents were murdered by Joe Chill. Many children around the world emulate these superheroes, but a 2017 study published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology found a link between children looking up to superheroes and aggressive behavior. It seems that preschoolers and kindergarteners miss out on the subtle moral lessons of comic book heroes. The study found that they often focus on superhero traits like “he’s big and can punch,” rather than trying to embody altruistic behaviors, like protecting the weak and standing up to bullies.
The not-so-super side of superheroes:
“It seems to be difficult for children to untangle aggression and pro-social behavior when they are combined, as is common in the superhero genre,” says Brigham Young University psychologist Sarah Coyne.
The study of parents of 240 kindergarten and preschool children found that children who were “highly involved with superheroes were more likely to be physically and relationally aggressive a year later.”
But all is not lost, especially if parents interact with their children and encourage positive behaviors. Benign reactions to superheroes like “because he’s cool and he can fly” are something parents can build on.
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