Do you think watching horror films infront of children is the as bad as watching explicit films? [edited by MNHQ]

[HowlingTrap]

Sorry the title is very emotive, I ran out of room to explain it properly.

its something that has always bothered, especially that its something that since i was a young child I know has gone one within society, people seeing nothing wrong in watching horror films in front of young children.
i have been around people who have almost done this infront of my children, switching on a horror film with children in the room and looked at me like I was mad when I went crazy at the thought. It's scary how prevalent it is and has been for many generations.
I actually said once "would you watch porn infront of a child' and they all replied with a chorus of 'of course not !"
Aibu to think theres not a huge amount of difference? its both 18 rated material for a reason?

I'm glad that this thread is moving on to discuss this very serious subject.

Madold are some of these foster children taken into care because of this kind of exposure or does it just tend to go with yhe territory?

AngieBolen well said

Oops, sorry, sadold!

I agree that my child at age 6 would not have been seeing the Hunger Games (there's a lot that can be discussed about the themes but my child as a six year old certainly wouldn't have been able to understand it) but I'm wondering why is it that the LA's consider 12A films to be inappropriate media and yet legally a child can got to a 12A film in the cinema provided they are accompanied by an adult.

Happytalk the line is not very clear as it depends on the impact or severity of the exposure, but generally horror exposure would come under emotional sbuse, exposure to violence comes under physical abuse and exposure to sexual images comes under child sex abuse. if it is just repeated random exposure it is classed as neglect, which is in itself a form of child abuse.

There is a big problem with parents not actually knowing the law.

thankyou Angie, is it against the actual law then? i've never heard of someone being arrested for that.

horsetowater sadly this type of think is just part and parcel of wider neglect and abuse of a child if a child is not being taken to school and being left to roam the streets all hours it's unlikely parents are monitoring watch there watching.

Also parents who have mental health issues or drug or alcohol issues who find setting boundaries impossible so parents who shoot up or have sex in front of there children are hardly going to be fussed if Carrie is on.

And then the other type were parents to encourage there children to watch this stuff in order to sexually abuse or physically them in order to desensitise them.

I remember a case years ago we're two boys who were in foster carer tortured two local lads they nearly killed the smaller boys the up shot was the boys had been exposed to very grim rape and kidnap type movies from a young age

I'm not offended by the OP I just think it is a stupid argument monumentally badly expressed. Like all things, it depends on the film and the context. Forcing a petrified child to watch a snuff movie incredibly abusive parenting, letting a 14 year old watch Nightmare on Elm street with their friends: fine.

Unless you are moving in very dodgy circles I don't think that anyone is casually flipping on a snuff film with your child in the room (the horror equivalent of child porn as both are non consensual and massively damaging to its participants)

The films you refer to as 'torture porn' like Saw are feature films. The actors are playing roles and aren't being tortured for real. An abused child is abused for real.

The difference is so monumental and your comparison so ridiculous that I can't see why you haven't grasped it.

HowlingTrap not being arrested but ss would have a lot to say about someone allowing a small child to watch inappropriate films on a regular basis.

happy talk this has opened a can of worms in my view 12a was ment for parents wanting to take there 10 or 11 year old to see spider man not there 7 year old to watch Mandela. And sadly now you often see even toddlers in 12a films which not only ruin the films because these films are boring to small children and they chatter don't sit still or cry because the themes are two adult they are often inappropriate I do wonder if it's more about the parents want because I can't see a 4 year old asking to see Mandela but I can see a adult not wanting to see frozen

Happytalk the 12A certificate only applies to cinemas and applies to films with subtle or infrequent severity of content. The point I guess they rely on parents judgment as to whether their child will enjoy the film.

I agree that it is vague but we are the adults and should be trusted to making our kids happy, not scaring them or worrying them.

Sadly this is not the case or ss would not be so busy

Not all parents are good judges and can keep there children safe hence why shops are now selling thongs for little girls and why now a days however violent or sexualised you will always see a very young child in a 12A film

I agree - it should be up to parents (though unfortunately there are parents who, as noted, have non-existent boundaries for whatever reason).

Just to clarify because I cannot for the want of trying actually find the law on allowing underage children watch 15 and 18 movies at home (I know that cinemas cannot admit children below the certificate age to 15+ films) it is not illegal to allow your child to watch a 15 or 18 film at home? (and I'm not talking about repeated exposure to 18 movies for a young child) I'm talking about making a sensible assessment as to what is appropriate for you child based on who they are and what the film is about.

Composhat, OP has said in her OP that it is what people she knows, do. Quite a few others have witnessed the same thing. I suspect these parents were desensitised to this stuff themselves when they were younger. It would be interesting to find out.

Happytalk, it isn't as simple as legal or illegal. A bit like allowing your under 18 to have a sip of wine. Nobody is going to take you to court about it. Child protection laws are there to protect a child from harm and the definition of harm is quite wide.

Snuff films weren't mentioned in the OP....they were mentioned later in a reference by the op regarding all child murderers having been exposed to violent movies in their youth. The OP was referring to horror movies, or am I mistaken?

horse

I can't see where the op says her friends are merrily watching snuff films (y'know the ones in which people are actually killed and tortured for real and are hugely illegal?) If this is the case, then I would be more worried about her choice of friend and her day to day life if watching snuff movies is considered the norm.

I think (but it id difficult to tell as the original post is so badly written) that she is talking about mainstream horror films that may be considered inappropriate for children/younger teens.

I thought that was the case. Thanks.

Sadold there seems to be a weird culture of threatening your child in public perhaps as a way of goading people, I think taking the underage kid to the film is part of that, a way for parents to say up yours to what they see as a controlling state, one that perhaps failed to protect them in the past?

"I think (but it id difficult to tell as the original post is so badly written) that she is talking about mainstream horror films that may be considered inappropriate for children/younger teens."

I assume so, the reference to snuff was a little irrelevant

horsetowater agreed it's a lot like leaving your child home alone it's not actually illegal and there is no lower age limit

However you are liable if anything happens for instance SS would view a mum popping out for calpol at 2am

Differently to the mum who leaves her children to go clubbing

So if your child watch some grim film as you didn't really pay attention to the content ECt would be viewed differently to a child who is having constant exposure to grim media that is when children start displaying disturbing behaviour

Hi, Howling.

We replied to your mail earlier, do you mind checking your email inbox?

Horsewater in my view is a leaning away from parenting as we know it and parents wanting to be there children's mates to "pal up"
And a blurring of what for adults and what for children hence people buying there children thongs and bikini ffs

When my son went to his year 6 prom some of the girls actually had spray tans my mind just boggles about those parents

So they will take there children to a adult themed movie as they would a mate

Were as personally when I take my children to the movies I am not going to enjoy myself if I do it's a bonus I pre pare to be board

Howling you expect people to be punished?!!! Really...Good God just who do you think you are?

What kind of punishment are you hoping for?

Jaqueline - I think OP might get that point soon - the only post to be deleted by HQ was one of hers.