Protection of Children Rights Against Detrimental Effect of Public Information: Content Analysis of Magazines for Children

Abstract

The article interprets qualitative and quantitative research data disclosing the detrimental effect of public information in the context of children rights' protection. The empirical research is based on Social Acquisition Theory, presents the main statement -an individual learns social behaviour through observation. This theory especially emphasises the impact of environment, behaviour and personality's factors and their general effect. It is dislosed that magazines for children play an important role in the process of child's becoming a member of society and perceiving the surrounding reality. Referring to Social Constructivism Theory, media creates social meanings and presents them to the people who are creating their own social reality considering or not the symbolic media constructions. Therefore, media performs the function of social reality construction. The results of empirical research have revealed that negative public information is presented in the magazines for children: violent, erotic, detrimental to health and other negative information. The majority of information is erotic or contains obscene words, curses, gestures.