Posted on 09/27/2017 3:56:39 PM PDT by PROCON
Kids who watch movies that depict people using guns are more likely play with firearms for longer periods of time and to pull the trigger, a new study suggests.
For the study, published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Ohio State University researchers had children ages 8-12 watch 20-minute clips from movies containing guns and other children watch movies in which no guns were used. After the movie clips, researchers recorded children playing for 20 minutes in a room with a cabinet full of toys, including a drawer that contained a disabled .38-caliber handgun equipped with a sensor to count trigger pulls.
While researchers did not see a noticeable difference in the number of kids who picked up and played with the gun between the two groups, they did notice a difference in how the kids played with the gun once it was handled. The children who watched the movie with characters firing guns played with the real firearm for longer periods of time and also pulled the trigger more often than children who had not seen a gun in their movie clip.
Researcher Brad Bushman told Reuters that he was not sure why the movies did not influence the number of kids who handled the gun but reiterated that the movies still seemed to influence behavior once the children started to handle it.
“But those who did handle the gun held it longer and pulled the trigger more times if they saw a movie with guns than if they saw a movie without guns,” Bushman said.
“Past research has shown that kids who see movie characters smoke are more likely to smoke themselves, and kids who see movie characters drink alcohol are more likely to drink alcohol themselves,” Bushman added. “Movies with alcohol have a warning, and movies with cigarettes also have a warning, and I think movies with guns should have a warning too.”
Out of 104 children, who were split off into pairs for the experiment, around 83 percent of them found the handgun in the cabinet drawer, and one or both children in 22 of the pairs handled the gun. Only 14 pairs of children alerted a research assistant when they found the firearm.
Researchers did note their experiment had its limitations, including a small sample size and the fact that only one firearm was available in the playroom.
While Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis argued in a companion editorial that condemning media violence and implementing stricter gun control laws would likely have little to no effect on children’s exposure to gun violence, he did say the study clearly showed how important proper gun storage can be in preventing unintentional shootings.
“Prior studies have shown that safe storage of guns is associated with a 75% reduction in the risk of firearm suicide and unintentional shootings among youths who are younger than 20 years,” Christakis said. “Intervention programs to increase the safe storage of firearms are effective, even in rural areas where hunting and using firearms is a regular part of the culture.”
Another worthless, agenda-driven "study" that only proves that there are too many studies.
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We’re keeping an eye on you, mister. Of course, I watch the Outdoor Channel and Hickok 45 on YouTube myself.
I’m from the same era as you are. Do you know how many toy guns I had? My father had a gun belt, holster (with my initials on it) and chaps made in Okinawa during one of his many tours there.
ha!
Firearms skills, including some competitive sports like target shooting and skeet.... used to be standard at many schools. Sometimes, depending on location of course, they’d even have a hunting club. This enabled young people to learn about firearms, self-family-community defense, and safety.
I think this useful skills training, along with some other useful skills training classes that got dumped out of most high schools like driving training (have you seen how dangerous some so-called adults are on the roads today?), home ec, and shop classes. The kids who graduate HS today (excepting for perhaps the top 10 percent, and them only academics) have zero useful skills or learning
Nothing wrong with kids using guns, if used responsibly. I got my first rifle at age 7. My kids started shooting at age 5, and both have concealed carry license today (they're now in their early/mid 20's) and shoot responsibly.
I watched the same thing you did and I have not turned into a serial killer either. They wasted their time on this useless drivel.
Kids who watch movies about (.........) likely to use (............)
Fill in the blanks:
Drugs
Violence
Murder
Yes, movies can influence behavior.
This article is very educational. I’ll now make sure to load my nephews up with westerns and other action flicks so they can really become comfortable with firearms. Wouldn’t want them to grow up to become SJW pussies.
Too many experts getting government grants to do studies that support whatever the government wants.
I grew up in the 30s and 40s-——————war movie guns and western movie guns and cop guns.
All we did was “shoot” each other.
.
What were they aiming at?
And somehow great granddad and grandad survived all those Loony Tune cartoons when they were kids. And didn’t wear bike helmets either.
mOST OF NOT ALL OF USS BABYBOOMER FREEPERS GREW UP WATCHING WILDWESTERNS AND OR WAR FLICS. I KNOW THAT I DID.
I wonder how much will be drained in 4 years?
I’ll tell you what is screwing up young kids....especially inner city kids. Violent RAP videos/music!
Agreed, the music encourages violence.
And? Watched Rambo, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Bruce Willis movies and yet I still have to turn into a Democrat gun killer.
I still remember an ex GF asking me why I have a CD of Cannibal Corpse. My response was “honey, there’a a song called HAMMER SMASHED FACE. Does this mean I’m going around smashing people’s faces with a hammer?”
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