New research suggests that toddlers who spend more time watching television are more likely to be bullied at school.

Researchers at the University of Montreal found that the number of hours spent watching television at the age of 2 years old correlated to the likelihood he'll be bullied in sixth grade.

"It is plausible that early lifestyle habits characterized by less effortful interactive experiences, such as early televiewing, can ultimately result in social skill deficits. More time spent watching television leaves less time for family interaction, which remains the primary vehicle for socialization," researcher Linda Pagani said in a statement.

Being exposed to television at an early age has also been linked with developmental deficits associated with brain functions that drive interpersonal problem solving, emotional regulation, socially competent peer play, and positive social contact. Finally, TV viewing may lead to poor eye-contact habits - a cornerstone of friendship and self-affirmation in social interaction.

For the study, Pagani collected and analyzed data from nearly 2,000 girls and boys growing up in Canada. Their television watching habits were reported by their parents and their victimization in grade six was self-reported by the children themselves. Children were asked questions such as how often they had belongings taken away from them and how often they were verbally or physically abused.

"Every standard deviation unit increase of 53 minutes in daily televiewing at 29 months predicted an 11 percent standard deviation unit increase in bullying by sixth grade classmates," Pagani said. "This figure takes into account other confounding factors that might influence the likelihood that the child would be bullied, such as his behavior and cognitive abilities and the characteristics of his family: their income, functioning, composition and the level of the mother's education."

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that daily screen time not extend beyond 1 to 2 hours per day for children age 2 and older.

The findings are detailed in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.