Violent action films DON’T cause more violence among teenagers

Violent action films DON’T cause more violence among teenagers, say psychiatrists

  •  A new study suggests that criminal behaviour is not linked to movie violence
  •  It was thought that teenagers were becoming desensitised by depiction of guns
  •  To test this they collected youth violence data compared with movie releases
  • Although movies have become more violent, rates of actual violence declined 

Violent action films don’t cause more violence among teenagers, according to a new study that claims there is no link between rises in crime and onscreen acts.

Researchers cross-referenced films that depicted violence and crime rates and found no evidence that violence in society was caused by PG-13 rated movies.

The findings come just days Britain’s ratings body ruled that under-15s would no longer be able to see films that depict rape and other sexual violence. 

It had been thought that violent scenes in movies and TV were becoming increasingly gruesome.

There has been widespread speculation that each generation of viewers become desensitised to onscreen violence which, in turn, fuels crime and murder.

A new study looking at the on screen depiction of guns and gun crime rates found no effect on violence in society by PG-13 rated movies, equivalent to the UK’s 12A. 

Scroll down for video 

A new study looking at the on screen depiction of guns and gun crime rates found no effect on violence in society by PG-13 rated movies, equivalent to the UK’s 12A rating. The British Board of Film Classification found it to be among parents’ main concerns (stock image)

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) surveyed more than 10,000 people and found it to be among parents’ main concerns. 

Professor, of Psychology Christopher Ferguson at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, who conducted the new research, says the public health threat of violent movies may be ‘difficult to substantiate.’


  • Periodic table found in a university lab dating to 1885 is…


    Is facial recognition tech RACIST? Expert warns biases in…


    Apple CEO Tim Cook calls for creation of privacy bill that…


    Amazon shareholders hit out at Jeff Bezos and call for the…

Share this article

He said: ‘Some parents could become desensitised to violence in PG-13 rated movies and, if so, were more likely to bring their children to see such movies, particularly when gun violence appeared to be justified. 

‘The worry that violence in films cause horrific acts of violence is certainly not new.

‘For example, media scholars previously argued that violent portrayals in cinema seem to encourage copycat killings and even that the apparent rise in school shootings coincides with increases in violent films.’

The findings come just days Britain’s ratings body ruled that under-15s would no longer be able to see films that depict rape and other sexual violence. A scene from thriller Cloverfield, which was rated PG-13 or 12A, the rating in the UK 

It had been thought that violent scenes in movies and TV were becoming increasingly gruesome. There has been widespread speculation that each generation of viewers become desensitised to onscreen violence which, in turn, fuels crime and murder. This image is taken from Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight 18

Scholars have even claimed that 10 per cent of violence in society can be attributed to the impact of violent media.

‘Perhaps not surprisingly politicians, the media, and laypersons often grasp onto such statements and assume researchers have actually found a link between violent films and horrific acts of violence,’ Professor Ferguson said.

‘However claims about the actual public health threat of violent movies may be difficult to substantiate.’

The study suggested that some parents could become desensitised to violence in PG-13 rated movies and were more likely to bring their children to see such movies, particularly when gun violence appeared to be justified. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx pictured in Quentin Tarrantino’s Django Unchained, 18

Researchers hypothesised that years in which films were more violent would also exhibit higher rates of violent crime, and that a rise in gun violence depicted in PG-13-rated movies would be associated with changes in gun related homicides. Jamie Foxx pictured in Quentin Tarrantino’s Django Unchained, 18

Professor Ferguson added: ‘Evidence suggests that edgier, more violent content may increase in PG-13 and PG movies over time.

‘This is because PG-13 rated movies may be considered particularly marketable as action-oriented fun but without the graphicness that parents may consider inappropriate for younger children.

‘This had been called a ‘ratings creep’. However, whether it is an actual problem for public health remains unknown; that’s the research gap we aimed to fill in this study.’

He hypothesised that years in which films were more violent would also exhibit higher rates of violent crime, and that a rise in gun violence depicted in PG-13-rated movies would be associated with changes in gun related homicides.

They  examined any link between a rise in violence and gun use in PG-13-rated movies with levels of gun related homicide, homicide and aggravated assault in US society.

It looked at data on PG-13-rated movies collected by other researchers during previous research and crime rates from The FBI and other organisations from 1985 to 2015.

It had been thought that violent scenes in movies and TV were becoming increasingly gruesome. Here, a scene from 1996 Quentin Tarantino horror From Dusk Till Dawn. Tarantino has come under fire in the past for his gory scenes in films. 

Professor Ferguson said: ‘Our analysis of data on violent crime and depictions of violence in PG-13-rated movies shows no evidence of a public health concern.

‘Thus, the ‘low hanging fruit’ argument that suggests parents should reduce their children’s exposure to violent movies as a simple way of reducing exposure to risk factors for crime, may cause more harm than good.

‘It may distract from the hard work of dealing with real pressing problems by focusing society, parents and policy makers in an illusory simple fix.’ 

The authors suggested policy makers remain focused on issues that have been demonstrated to impact criminality, such as family environment, mental health, poverty and education.

There is a difference between the US and UK ratings. For example, the US horror flick Cloverfield was rated PG-13 in the US but received a 15 rating in the UK. 

The study was published in the journal Psychiatric Quarterly. 

Source: Read Full Article