The Continuing Rise of Gun Violence in PG-13 Movies, 1985 to 2015

Parental Desensitization to Gun Violence in PG-13 Movies

“…The increasing presence of comic book heroes in PG-13 films in recent years may also make their use of gun violence appear acceptable. 7 Unfortunately, the approval of gun use in films with justified violence may teach the lesson that gun use is acceptable when responding to threats from others. Judging when violence is justified, however, is subject to personal interpretation.…”

“…2 Nevertheless, in recent years the PG-13 rating has been extended to films that were previously restricted to children older than 16 unless there was an adult in attendance 5 and now includes films with levels of gun violence that exceed what is present in the more restrictive R-rating category. 6,7 Along with the increase in PG-13 violence, surveys also suggest that parents are becoming more accepting of violence in movies, 8 reflecting a form of desensitization to movie violence. 9 Given the long-standing evidence that heavy exposure to screen violence in children can lead to imitation, 10,11 increased parental acceptance of movie violence is cause for concern.…”

“…One explanation for this desensitization is that these films typically omit the consequences of violence that might be upsetting to children, such as graphic displays of blood and suffering 12 that tend to receive R ratings. 7 As parents view more of these movies, they may become emotionally desensitized to the violence 9,13 and more accepting of its viewing by children.…”

Guns Automatically Prime Aggressive Thoughts, Regardless of Whether a “Good Guy” or “Bad Guy” Holds the Gun

“…Guns are even more common in the mass media. For example, acts of gun violence in PG-13 films (for ages 13+) has more than doubled since the rating was introduced in 1985 (Bushman, Jamieson, Weitz, & Romer, 2013), and this upward trend continues in more recent years (Romer, Jamieson, & Jamieson, 2017). Frequent exposure to guns in the real world and virtual world can produce a weapons effect.…”

Distinguishing Hypotheses From Hyperbole in Studies of Media Violence: A Comment on Markey et al. (2015)

“…Young people who engage in mass shootings are mostly non‐Hispanic White suburban or rural youth who often harbor suicidal and homicidal tendencies that might make them susceptible to imitation of media characters who use violence to seek revenge (Newman, ; Rocque, ). It is for this reason that Romer () tendered the hypothesis that films with gun violence might influence some vulnerable youth to act in ways consistent with those depictions.…”