SLAS Times Q2 2019-2020 SLAS Times: Fall 2019 | Page 47

Keep Kids Away From Violent Films
by Nikolay Mesropyan
According to a survey in the journal Developmental
and Behavioral Pediatrics, one-third of first and sec-
ond-graders in Washington, D.C. said that they had
seen a dead body. Such violence negatively affects
children by making them terrified, disturbed, and
very stressed. Violent scenes can be unsettling to
anyone; especially young children, when they see
someone getting stabbed, shot, or punched. Accord-
ing to Surveys in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Los
Angeles, more than 75 percent of elementary school
children have witnessed physical assaults in real life.
Real-life violence and the violence you watch in the
movies affect kids in the same way.
According to US News and World Report, As PG-13
movies became more violent between 1985 and
2015, while overall rates of murder and violence fell.
When there is economic growth, people will have
less incentive to commit crimes, which is why the
murder rate fell between 1985 and 2015. Despite the
falling murder rate, psychologists still claim violent
films and TV shows can disturb children.
Violence in movies, TV shows, and video games can
often make children feel anxious, depressed, and
lonely according to an article in Myria by Andy Wary-
cka. Parents can reduce exposure to media violence
by limiting screen time. Parents should make their
children watch more positive content while limiting
negative content.
V
iolent movies are rated “R” (Restricted under 17
without a guardian) and NC-17 (No one 17 and
under admitted) to protect the psychological health
of children. This rating system, however, only ap-
plies to the USA. Every country has its own rules and
age-rating policy for cinemas. According to the Wall
Street Journal, in China, most people don’t get to
see movies with a big amount of violent scenes, bad
language and nudity because they get cut out by the
censors.