Children who watch television three hours daily are at higher risk of being bullied

Children who watch three hours of television per day may face a higher risk of bullying, a recent study suggests.

According to the study, published in the journal Pediatric Research, three hours of viewing has the potential to harm a child's development, both physically and socially, leaving them with poorer vocabulary, math skills and attention in class.

The researchers involved in the study looked at 1,977 boys and girls aged 29 months whose parents reported their television viewing behavior as part of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development.

"This study only looks at the most common form of screen time, which is in the home. However, it may be an underestimate because many child care settings use television as an activity during care giving," professor Linda Pagani, of the University of Montreal and The Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center, said in a statement.

They also looked at the children's school readiness, including motor skills that predict physical activity and reading skills later on in the toddler's life.

"Because of kindergarten's power to predict future productivity, the identification of modifiable factors that foretell not being ready for the transition to formal schooling represents as important goal for a productive society," Pagani said.