To think kids simulating a violent crime isn’t family fun?

[Greyrocked]

Increasingly I’m seeing young children dressed as if they have been murdered, sexually assaulted or are a violent criminal for Halloween. I don’t see what is good family fun about glorifying violence. One of my children is adopted and increasingly we can’t go anywhere at half term as violent scenes trigger their PTSD. Even family attractions aimed at young children seem to think it’s fine to display really scary images.

AIBU?

That's terrible 😔

I agree. One of my grandchildren had cause to be at the fracture clinic and xray recently. The fracture clinic was decorated with autumnal leaves, fruit etc- actually very calming- but the xray dept was full on horrible Halloween. Just why???

Any older and he wouldn't have been murdering-doll-sized.

Now he's old enough to have seen the film, he loved that we dressed him like that. But then he knows it's a film and not real life.

@JubileeJuice just loved Chucky.

My own child walked in on me watching it not long ago. I paused, he laughed his head off at the horrendous CGI. Pretty much the same with good old Freddy. The older ones are slightly laughable and less fear inducing for some.

What?!?! I'd be sending a serious letter to the governors!!!

I don’t like it either. Even fake cuts or wounds etc I find way too much.

As a teacher I saw a young child with neck bruising a couple of days after a domestic assault (the perpetrator was immediately removed from the family home by police) and it was horrific.

Life has enough real horror without embracing fake ‘horror’.

What on earth have you seen that represents sexual assault?!

Our local primary school had a Halloween disco. They sent out a message saying no scary masks or accessories as children turned up as the grim reaper etc last year and with fake knives.

One child this year had her throat slit with prosthetic make up and blood dripping down her nightdress.

I absolutely hate Halloween and won't be letting my children go to the disco next year and I won't be putting out sweets anymore. I've been reluctantly going along with it so my children don't miss out but it become something so grotesque and sinister, I just don't want them to be part of it.

I wonder how the Southport victims parents and emergency workers felt seeing all these 'murdered' children wandering the streets.

Children laugh when exposed to videos of real beheadings too. Terrorists use these videos to train child soldiers to desensitise them. Young children don't know the difference between real and fake..

Was that Giles Coren’s son? Saw on Insta he was dressed like this. That family seem to love controversy so probably yet another attempt to wind people up.

Eurgh his was my son last year. He saw it in Tesco when we went to pick out an outfit, thought it was a ghost (it was all white with a white scary mask) and fell in love. I didn't think it was too bad, loads of people said 'ooh scary mummy!' and he kept saying 'no, I'm a ghost!' it was quite funny, people were very confused.

Op, I don't know where you are going but we have avoided pretty much all Halloween stuff this year. We went to a pumpkin picking place which had no scary bits, a cartoon witch cut out for photos was as bad as it got. I think you just need to do a bit of research before you go.

Where is everyone living that they are seeing this? We had dinosaurs, witches, skeletons, ducks. We were wandering around the estate for ages trick or treating and didn't see a single child dressed in a horrible way. They all looked really cute!

Honestly it has crossed my mind…
I’ve been thinking am I the only one completely horrified by it? 😳

Essex area in a very nice little village where the average house price is 500k.

No I would be furious about this, dead baby floating in a pumpkin is way too far. Especially for a primary school! What on earth were they thinking allowing that to be entered?

Please say something. I'm going to speak to them about the child with the slit throat and that communication needs to be clearer.

Totally agree. About 20 years ago I was in Germany for Halloween. It most definitely wasn’t the big thing it is here, no trick or treating , but was gaining momentum commercially. I remember going to one of the big department stores and thinking how the interpretation was totally messed up. More of a fancy dress celebration with all the costumes on offer massively inappropriate and horror film inspired (knife wielding clowns/ zombies/ blood etc). At that time it was quite shocking, and it was a real contrast to what we had in the Uk.
But now this stuff is everywhere here too.
I visited a fancy dress shop which specialises in Halloween here recently. It was truly hideous, half the stuff should have been illegal. Fake weapons, severed limbs, weird dystopian zombie hazmat suits, horrible printed balaclavas that seemed designed for bank robbing 🙈. Awful awful and even more frightening that a lot of it was in kids sizes.

Was it not just a dead/zombie school girl?

We'd loads of zombie cheerleaders, dead brides, dead Disney princesses, dead basketball/soccer players ect.. at our school competition it would never cross my mind that they were dressed up as murdered children or that there is something sexy about their clothing. They are just spooky... I wouldn't consider these costumes as so realistic that they are horrifying.

I do agree generally though. I hate the whole serial killer, Chucky, major weapons type costumes and decorations I worry that we are desensitising the kids to violence.

My daughter went in black wings and halo and wand in a black jumpsuit dressed as a dark angel , but she was also riding her pony ( she trick or treats on him every year )
But all of her girl mates were going to be dead cheerleaders , it was a trend this year apparently no idea where from .. tik tok I'm guessing
We mostly encountered kids dressed as witches / skeletons , inflatable sumo type costumes and little dogs in costumes.
Fancy dressing your kid as Patrick Bateman! It's one of my fave films American psycho but my daughter wouldn't have a clue who he is !

Yeah. Have to wonder how much a 6yo knows about Jason from Friday 13th and an 11yo about Patrick Bateman...

Erm, that's not what the Green Man represents, Lady Raglan. But full marks for equating folklore with manufacturing & selling arms, that's a pretty impressive leap but you managed it...🤐

My DS dressed up this year as a ghost punk. I have no idea why he chose this particular combination (he knows what a punk is because of how his favourite uncle dresses), but I would guess that many posters in this thread will have felt the costume was not age-appropriate. No blood, no injury detail, and the costume was entirely homemade.

This thread is peak mumsnet. Please continue, it's great entertainment.

Also clutching my pearls at so many if you suggesting 'single use plastic bin bags' for a costume instead of a costume that can be re used and passed on.

Lol at you including house prices

No one ever had issues with cute little boys dressed as dracula. You know, that infamous killer who murders virgins and drains them of their blood.