Do Horror films cause children to be violent

[zwoti]

Originally Posted by Media Project

there have been meny events where the media have clamed that horror films have caused extreme violence in children. In this thread i am trying to find out what everyone thinks to this? i shall start off the Thread with a few questions. Do you think that there is enought censorship stopping children watching violence in horror films? Do you or have you ever watched a horror film that you are to young to warch and has it had any effect on you? and do you think there is anything into todays horror films that should be included?

try reading

the seduction of the gullible



then maybe the dictionary.

[Doc Faustus]

Somebody should write a parenting book called "Stop Raising Assholes". That would probably eliminate most violence in children.

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

I know someone who saw a real dead body when he was a kid, not a movie.

funny it had the opposite effect on him.

[Rayne]

I've watched many horror movies since I was a child...I'm not violent

My children have watched many horror movies...They aren't violent

Do comedies cause children to be funny?

Do dramas cause children to be dramatic?

Do action films cause children to blow things up?


Bad parenting, child abuse, and some psychological disorders cause children to be violent.

"Horror movies do not create murderers...But, they may make a murderer more creative"


The notion that horror movies cause violence is a scapegoat for people who refuse to take responsibility for their own actions.

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

Originally Posted by Rayne

I've watched many horror movies since I was a child...I'm not violent

My children have watched many horror movies...They aren't violent

Do comedies cause children to be funny?

Do dramas cause children to be dramatic?

Do action films cause children to blow things up?


Bad parenting, child abuse, and some psychological disorders cause children to be violent.

"Horror movies do not create murderers...But, they may make a murderer more creative"


The notion that horror movies cause violence is a scapegoat for people who refuse to take responsibility for their own actions.

agreed.

also if the world has to be full of murderers, I'd much rather them be creative. ;)

[Doc Faustus]

Most killers are too pathological and set in their ways to get ideas from the media.

[Rayne]

Originally Posted by Doc Faustus

Most killers are too pathological and set in their ways to get ideas from the media.

This is true...But years of posting bizarre crime articles has exposed me to stories where the killer plays out a scene from a horror movie, or commits an act they have seen in a movie and says it 'gave them the idea'...These people were screwed up in the first place, or they never would have formed that 'idea'.
http://www.horror.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3728

[Doc Faustus]

It's a defense mechanism to detach them from the act. Like when they say Satan or a talking dog told them to do it. Freddy Krueger is only as responsible as that black lab that lived near David Berkowitz.

[Despare]

I've always said that people look for something to blame to keep from believing that some people are really that evil. Instead of accepting that there are horrible people in the world some folks look for the catalyst that supposedly set somebody off.

As far as the question about enough censorship stopping children from watching violence in horror films, well, the only censorship those kids need are good parents and to be honest that does seem to be lacking a lot these days.

[missmacabre]

Originally Posted by Doc Faustus

Horror films only cause violence in violent individuals.

This pretty much holds true with anything. Like how playing a violent video games stimulates the aggression center of your brain. It all depends on how your brain filters that information. Some of us will clench our fists when mad about a game, others will swear out loud and some will throw things. The more violent you are in nature, the more likely you are to respond negatively to violence.

I have been watching horror movies since I was about 8 and the most violent I am is that I will pinch or lightly slap my boyfriend for attention. Even that is more a product of my upbringing and inability to get attention for anything positive.

More restrictions on the films that young people are able to watch isn't going to help anything any more. If the kid doesn't have the height and facial hair to buy a ticket for an 18A movie, they can just watch it online. What's more important is that parents teach their kids what is real, what isn't, what kind of fear is safe and how to deal with being afraid in a healthy manner. Most importantly they need to teach that violence is wrong, but horror movies are usually morality tales, so if they don't know to play nice already a good horror flick will show them.