By definition, a PG-13 movies is supposed to have less violence than an R movies.
A study set for publication in the December issue of Pediatrics indicates that the level of gun violence in the top-selling PG-13 movies has been rising, and it now exceeds that of more restrictive R-related films.
The study found that the level of gun violence in Hollywood movies has more than tripled since 1985, when the level of gun violence in PG-13 movies was similar to that in general audience movies.
The rating PG-13 is given to films that may not be appropriate for kids under 13. By definition, a PG-13 movies is supposed to have less violence than an R movies.
In 2009, the levels of gun violence in such movies rose as high as those rated R. But by 2012, the levels of gun violence surpassed those aimed at older audiences by a “significant” margin, the study said.
“Most parents would be horrified to learn that the very films that target young people are the ones with the most violence” said Brad Bushman, a professor of communication and psychology of the Ohio State University and the study’s lead author. “Parents rely on these ratings to make decisions about that is appropriate for their children.”
Researchers from the Annenberg Public Policy Center and the Ohio State University said their findings show that violent media can have harmful effects on children and youth.
According to the researchers, violent encounters with guns, defined as a shooting of a live target, now occur on average 2.6 times an hour in PG-13 movies.
Gun violence in the US came under spotlight after a shooter killed 20 first-grade school children and six staff members using an assault rifle sold legally to his mother in a rampage at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012.
Since the deadly shooting in Newtown, the US media have reported more than 10,000 gun deaths in the country, according to an interactive project between slate.com and the anonymous creator of the Twitter feed @GunDeaths.
However, slate.com says the actual number of deaths, is more than 30,000, three times more than the number reported in the media.
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Source: Press TV