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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

214 replies

HowlingTrap · 04/01/2014 12:01

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?

OP posts:
SPsFifthConyoIsTheBestConyo · 04/01/2014 22:12

moomins how?! I get ID'd sometimes now for them Grin

MoominsYonisAreScary · 04/01/2014 22:13

Grin im 35 pubs and picture didnt id so much in those days, ive been asked for id more times since I turned 30. Bloody ridiculous

RubyGoat · 04/01/2014 22:14

Finally! Thanks Julie.

haveyourselfashandy · 04/01/2014 22:14

This is very weird because I was forced to watch horror films as a child by someone who got a sick thrill out of me being scared and it affected me beyond words.But I think YABU in comparing the two generally,I would never let my dc watch anything I deemed as inappropriate but my inappropriate might be different to everyone else's.Someone I knew let their 8 year old watch Saw and I didn't make a big deal about it but that really upset me and I just stopped talking to them.

horsetowater · 04/01/2014 22:15

Conyo - I was allowed to watch films with age ratings higher than my age. We were also allowed to play games with higher ages.

Call it neglect/abuse, I don't give a shit.

My son will also be treated the same way.

I find your statement quite alarming. Do you want your son to be traumatised? Because that's psychologically what happens when children experience violence like this, even if it's on a screen. A child's brain is not able to separate reality from fiction in this way and you will be storing up trouble later on when he becomes hardened and cold, possibly depressed as a result of being desensitised. Why expose your child to that? Why not just do the right thing?

haveyourselfashandy · 04/01/2014 22:16

Glad titles been edited!

MoominsYonisAreScary · 04/01/2014 22:19

Dont be ridiculous, not all children will be traumatised. The majority of 10 year olds watching 12 certs, 13 year olds watching 15 cert, 16 year olds watching 18 etc will not be traumatised.

FanFuckingTastic · 04/01/2014 22:22

I was four years old and a babysitter put on a horror film that left me traumatised for years afterwards, I had nightmares every night and was scared of my own toys. I still to this day have these nightmares and I'm thirty one, so I would say it is possible to traumatise children with unsuitable viewing, horror included.

MoominsYonisAreScary · 04/01/2014 22:25

Sp wasnt talking about 4 year olds though.

SPsFifthConyoIsTheBestConyo · 04/01/2014 22:25

Do you want your son to be traumatised?

How do you work that out?? Have I said I will allow him to.watch 18 rated horrors? No.

I have said he can watch films that are a higher rating of age than he is. So what?

He has also seen Hocus Pocus and loved it. Not emotionally harmed by it either Hmm

I'm not the only person here who was allowed to or will allow or even allows it now.

BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability · 04/01/2014 22:28

Ahh, thats better, now I'll repost my post as it got a bit lost :)

I'd say the difference is the intent, in all cases, whether you are meaning to scare/harm the child by showing them or whether you just don't care that they may be harmed. Neither is good of course, but there are people (their partners turn up here often enough) that watch porn in front of their kids just because they don't think it will harm them, just the same as there are people who show their children 18+ horror with the intention of scaring them.

happytalk13 · 04/01/2014 22:29

To be honest, Fan, it's not very surprising. You were 4. It is absolutely true that young children exposed to frightening images will likely be affected in a negative way by them. However, when you are talking about a 12 year old watching an 18 cert film I think it will depend hugely on the child, the film (not all 18 cert films are created equal) and the child's general home environment and is (and should be) a judgement call for a parent. I can say now that it is likely that my child at 12 (if asking to watch an 18 cert film) will not be ready to, but others may be fine. Note that I'm not talking about a daily diet of horrifically violent images when I say that some children may well be fine.

AllDirections · 04/01/2014 22:30

This is very weird because I was forced to watch horror films as a child by someone who got a sick thrill out of me being scared and it affected me beyond words

Me too haveyourselfashandy and I still have issues now at 44 Sad

I had seriously strange parents and I was never allowed to be a child. I do almost the total opposite with my children in every regard. My children have never seen a horror movie, not even the 17 year old. It's not that I've banned them particularly, they've just never been a part of our life style, just like the DC have never had age inappropriate games to play, or alcohol to drink until they were teenagers, beauty treatments as young children, etc. etc.

lougle · 04/01/2014 22:33

A bit late to this thread, but I went to see The Hobbit a couple of days ago (it's a 12A) and was really surprised to see several very young (5/6/7) year old children being brought to see it. It's very graphic.

DioneTheDiabolist · 04/01/2014 22:34

What traumatises one child will not be the same as what traumatises another. DS(6) watched and thoroughly enjoyed Spiderman and Ironman movies that were rated 12A but was extremely upset after watching Frozen Planet because a pack of wolves caught a buffalo yearling.

It kinda was my fault because I know that wildlife documentaries can cause him anguish, but I was so engrossed in this amazing programme that I forgot the buffalo scene was coming up.Sad. But I would not consider it child abuse!

Original poster
HowlingTrap · 04/01/2014 22:37

Yes, Lougle I read the book hmm as an 8 year old as a childs story on a cassette too all very suitable and saw the film as a 23 year old and actually said to my DH , ....is this supposed to be for kids?

Another poster said something further upthread I need to clarify, my friends do not watch intense horror infront of kids, I know of/know people in extension of other people who do. I don't think I could stay mates with someone who did.

8 year old watching saw? Shock no,,no,no.no.

OP posts:
lougle · 04/01/2014 22:38

I can't watch horrors or psychological thrillers. Black Swan traumatised me, but I didn't realise what it was like and then I was compelled to watch it - took me 3 sittings to get to the end. Arlington Road similarly.

In fact, I remember reading 'The Witches' when I was young and my Mum coming to tell me 'lights off'. I continued reading under the covers. I had nightmares for ages after.

I also remember watching 'The Cook Report' and it featured a family who were bludgeoned in a burglary. I didn't go upstairs alone for about 3 weeks Sad

SPsFifthConyoIsTheBestConyo · 04/01/2014 22:39

Dione My son loves the Spiderman and Ironman films. That is what I meant by older ratings but OP is on some strange mission.

He cried at Toy Story 3 as he thought they were all going to burn. as did I.

I have tried explaining that things affect people differently but all I got was Hocus Pocus caused emotional harm and shite about a SS panel Confused

lougle · 04/01/2014 22:39

DD1 (8) has SN and goes to special school. She is so sensitive to music in films and images, that she finds even some U films absolutely terrifying, to the point that she runs out of the room. She saw Frozen a couple of weeks ago with her respite club, and she said 'the princess was scary'.

MoominsYonisAreScary · 04/01/2014 22:40

I like horrors, I always have. I dont like hostel or the saw films though. Now watership down is another matter! Cant even watch that as an adult and none of my dcs have seen it because its horrible regardless of its certificate

Sparkletshirt · 04/01/2014 22:43

They are damaging to young children, yes, but boundaries have been relentlessly pushed by big business marketing I think. When I was pregnant there was a poster on phone boxes for a horror film, was there a remake of The Exorcist a few years back? Picture was an emaciated, dirty girl clinging to the corner of the ceiling and it really p'eed me off, it was around for months and it upset me. Now there's another one about 'one night every year' or something, it's just a guy in a mask but I wish my 3 year old didn't have to see creepy pictures anywhere.

Sparkletshirt · 04/01/2014 22:47

Posted too soon, point is advertising makes them seem like they can't be that bad if they're in your face all the time. I don't see the point of horror films. I don't want to know they're there.

DioneTheDiabolist · 04/01/2014 22:48

SP, that HocusPocus/SS Panel post was bizarre. I can only assume the poster hadn't read your post properly or mistook HocusPocus for something else.

I think that parents know their DC and are able to judge accurately what they find enjoyable or distressing.

SPsFifthConyoIsTheBestConyo · 04/01/2014 22:54

I think that parents know their DC and are able to judge accurately what they find enjoyable or distressing

That is the point I was making. My mum knew what we could and couldn't handle and went with it. That is what I will do with my son, even if some want to call it abuse.

MoominsYonisAreScary · 04/01/2014 22:56

Me too, the oldests 19 and hasnt been traumatised. Although watching horror films hasnt come up as hes never been interested in them

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