The Effectiveness of the Motion Picture Association of America's Rating System in Screening Explicit Violence and Sex in Top-ranked Movies From 1950 to 2006

Nalkur, Priya G.; Jamieson, Patrick E.; Römer, Daniel

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.01.019

Cited by 37 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Consistent with other analyses, [15][16][17][18][19][20] we found that violence in top-grossing films has increased linearly since 1950. Since 1985, scripts containing the use of guns in violent segments have declined slightly in G/PG films but not changed overall in R-rated films.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The proportion of PG-13-rated films in the top 30 grossing films has increased greatly since the rating was introduced in 1985. 15 Previous research has shown that violence is a common theme in topselling films and that the amount of violence has increased over time, 16,17 even in G (general audiences)-rated films considered appropriate for viewers of all ages. 18 Research also shows that youth frequently watch extremely violent films.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Gun Violence Trends in Movies

et al. 2013

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WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Previous research has shown the following: the mere presence of weapons can increase aggression, dubbed the "weapons effect"; violence in films has increased over time; and violent films can increase aggression. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:This study examines a potential source of the "weapons effect": the presence of guns in films. In just 20 years, gun violence in PG-13 films (age 131) has increased from the level in films rated G/PG to the point where it exceeds the level in R films. abstract BACKGROUND: Many scientific studies have shown that the mere presence of guns can increase aggression, an effect dubbed the "weapons effect." The current research examines a potential source of the weapons effect: guns depicted in top-selling films. METHODS:Trained coders identified the presence of violence in each 5-minute film segment for one-half of the top 30 films since 1950 and the presence of guns in violent segments since 1985, the first full year the PG-13 rating (age 131) was used. PG-13-rated films are among the top-selling films and are especially attractive to youth. RESULTS:Results found that violence in films has more than doubled since 1950, and gun violence in PG-13-rated films has more than tripled since 1985. When the PG-13 rating was introduced, these films contained about as much gun violence as G (general audiences) and PG (parental guidance suggested for young children) films. Since 2009, PG-13-rated films have contained as much or more violence as R-rated films (age 171) films. CONCLUSIONS:Even if youth do not use guns, these findings suggest that they are exposed to increasing gun violence in top-selling films. By including guns in violent scenes, film producers may be strengthening the weapons effect and providing youth with scripts for using guns. These findings are concerning because many scientific studies have shown that violent films can increase aggression. Violent films are also now easily accessible to youth (eg, on the Internet and cable). This research suggests that the presence of weapons in films might amplify the effects of violent films on aggression. 3 In theater, scripts tell actors what to do and say. In memory, scripts define situations and guide behavior; the person first selects a script for the situation, assumes a role in that script, and then behaves according to it. A script may be learned through direct experience or by observing others, such as violent characters in the mass media. 4 The media provide scripts for gun use. Gun violence in films might also encourage an association between guns and violence.In the wake of recent shooting sprees, legislators and the lay public are discussing possible ways to reduce youth violence. What is conspicuously absent from these discussions, however, is the fact that just seeing a weapon can increase aggression, an effect dubbed the "weapons effect."Guns not only permit violence, they can stimulate it as well. The finger pulls the trigger, but the trigger may also be pulling the finger.Leonard Berkowitz, Psyc...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

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confidence: 99%

Gun Violence Trends in Movies

et al. 2013

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“…1 In recent years, however, the MPAA' s rating board, the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA), has allowed more violent content into the films it rates as acceptable for adolescents under the age of 17 years (its PG-13 category for viewers ages 13 years and older). [2][3][4][5] For example, the amount of gun violence in top-grossing PG-13 films has more than tripled since the PG-13 rating was introduced in 1985. 2 Indeed, in 2012, popular PG-13 films contained significantly more gun violence than Rrated films (restricted to children under age 17 years unless accompanied by an adult), which are more likely to contain explicit sex.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 Indeed, in 2012, popular PG-13 films contained significantly more gun violence than Rrated films (restricted to children under age 17 years unless accompanied by an adult), which are more likely to contain explicit sex. 2,4 Although sexual content has been classified more consistently in the R category, 4 there is also evidence that sex has become more prevalent in that category. 5,6 CARA acknowledges that its standards have changed over time and attributes this to the changing standards of parents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental Desensitization to Violence and Sex in Movies

et al. 2014

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WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT:Movie ratings designed to warn parents about violence and sexual content have permitted increasing amounts of each in popular films. One potential explanation for this "ratings creep" is parental desensitization to this content as it becomes more prevalent in movies. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:This study adds experimental evidence that parents become desensitized to movie violence and sex and are more willing to allow children to view such content. abstract OBJECTIVES: To assess desensitization in parents' repeated exposure to violence and sex in movies. METHODS:A national US sample of 1000 parents living with at least 1 target child in 1 of 3 age groups (6 to 17 years old) viewed a random sequence of 3 pairs of short scenes with either violent or sexual content from popular movies that were unrestricted to youth audiences (rated PG-13 or unrated) or restricted to those under age 17 years without adult supervision (rated R). Parents indicated the minimum age they would consider appropriate to view each film. Predictors included order of presentation, parent and child characteristics, and parent movie viewing history. RESULTS:As exposure to successive clips progressed, parents supported younger ages of appropriate exposure, starting at age 16.9 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.8 to 17.0) for violence and age 17.2 years (95% CI, 17.0 to 17.4) for sex, and declining to age 13.9 years (95% CI, 13.7 to 14.1) for violence and 14.0 years (95% CI, 13.7 to 14.3) for sex. Parents also reported increasing willingness to allow their target child to view the movies as exposures progressed. Desensitization was observed across parent and child characteristics, violence toward both human and non-human victims, and movie rating. Those who frequently watched movies were more readily desensitized to violence. CONCLUSIONS:Parents become desensitized to both violence and sex in movies, which may contribute to the increasing acceptance of both types of content by both parents and the raters employed by the film industry. Pediatrics 2014;134:877-884

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“…9 Although the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) attempts to rate films with potentially harmful content in its Restricted (R) category, its ratings permit as much violent content in films rated appropriate for children over 12 (PG-13) as in R-rated films. 10,11 Because children are often exposed to violent media content, 6,12 it is important to look closely at portrayals of violent characters. PG-13 and other films viewed by youth may feature perpetrators of violence that engage in more common risk behaviors, such as sex and tobacco and alcohol use.…”

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Violent Film Characters’ Portrayal of Alcohol, Sex, and Tobacco-Related Behaviors

2014

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WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Youth are frequent consumers of movies that contain high levels of violence, and violent content in films, especially those rated PG-13, has been increasing over time.WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: Content analyses seldom examine how violence is portrayed with other health risk behaviors, such smoking, drinking, and sex. This study presents an innovative way to characterize on-screen violent content and demonstrates the extent to which risk behaviors co-occur within films. abstract OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent to which movies popular with adolescents feature characters who jointly engage in violence and other risk behaviors. We hypothesized that violent characters engage in other risk behaviors equally often in films rated appropriate for children over 12 (PG-13) and Restricted (R)-rated films.METHODS: Content analysis of a sample of top-grossing movies from 1985 to 2010 (n = 390). We coded movies for the presence of at least 1 main character who was involved in violence and either sex, tobacco, or alcohol use within a 5-minute movie segment and throughout a film.RESULTS: Approximately 90% of the movies contained a segment with a main character involved in violence, and ∼77% of the films had the same character engaging in at least 1 other risk behavior. A violent character was portrayed most often partaking in alcohol-related and sexual behaviors. G and PG movies had less co-occurrence than PG-13 or R-rated movies, but there was no statistical difference between PG-13 and R-rated movies with regards to violence co-occurring with other risk behaviors. These trends did not vary over time.CONCLUSIONS: Popular films that contain violent characters also show those characters engaging in other risk behaviors. Similar rates of cooccurrence between PG-13 and R-rated films suggest that the Motion Picture Association of America ratings system is not sensitive to the joint portrayal of violence and alcohol, sex, and tobacco-related risk behaviors. The on-screen clustering of violence with other risk behaviors is cause for concern and worthy of additional research.

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The Effectiveness of the Motion Picture Association of America's Rating System in Screening Explicit Violence and Sex in Top-ranked Movies From 1950 to 2006

Cited by 37 publications

References 22 publications

Gun Violence Trends in Movies

Gun Violence Trends in Movies

Parental Desensitization to Violence and Sex in Movies

Violent Film Characters’ Portrayal of Alcohol, Sex, and Tobacco-Related Behaviors

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