are inappropriate for their age or stage
of development.”
What’s the harm?
So if a child wants to see a film that
might not be completely appropriate,
and a parent wants to take them,
what’s the harm? Obviously each
child is different (and one child’s fear
is another’s exhilaration), but it seems
that, as well as the immediate possible
tears and fears, there could be some
longer-term consequences. In the case
of violent content, research has shown
consistently that children who see a lot
of violence on screens are more likely to
behave aggressively, have aggressive
thoughts and unfriendly feelings and
not care about people who are victims
of violence. A study in 2010 published
by
Prevention Science
(Journal of
the Society for Prevention Research)
showed that when children watch films
for over-18s and violent movies, it may
cause them to try alcohol at an early
age because of its glorification.
But do children really take in, or
fully understand, all of what they are
seeing on the screen? According to
Dr Rich, “The argument that violence
and sex go over kids’ heads is faulty.
There is all kinds of evidence that
exposure to sexual media, regardless of
camera angle, forms and affects kids’
understanding of who they are and how
relationships work.”
Doing your homework
So, next time you fancy a family trip
to the cinema, or a popcorn and
pyjamas movie night, how do you go
about choosing a film that will keep
your children entertained, but not
scare them senseless or provide an
impromptu human biology lesson?
Obviously the first thing to check is
the film’s rating for a very rough guide
of a film’s age appropriateness, but it
is also worth asking around for other
parents’ opinions. Many people suggest
HONG KONG’S FILM AGE
RATINGS GUIDE
In Hong Kong, there are four
classifications:
I
– suitable for all ages
IIA
– not suitable for children
IIB
– not suitable for young persons
and children
III
– for persons aged 18 and above
only
There is no definitive age for
‘children’ or ‘young persons’. The
first three classifications are purely
advisory, but category III is legally
enforceable and cinema staff have a
responsibility to check patrons’ ID.
watching films yourself first, before you
show them to your children, but for
many parents that is an impractically
time-consuming option.
Another useful reference are online
review sites, where parents and children
comment on films and suggest what
they think the age rating should be.
Review sites include: Common Sense
Media (
);
Kids-In-Mind (
);
and Parent Previews
(
).
But what happens once you’ve done
your homework and decided that you
don’t want your child to see the film
that “everyone in the class” has seen?
Dr Rich advises, “If there are movies
your kids want to see but you don’t feel
comfortable with them seeing, explain
to them, as best you can, that these
movies would affect them in harmful
ways. You can say that just as you
wouldn’t let them drive the car or drink
alcohol at this age, you are not going
to let them watch this movie right now.
The goal is not to negotiate or plead,
but to share your rationale, in a spirit of
respect and love for your kids, so that
they understand why you’re setting this
limit. Approach this as an issue of health
and safety – because that’s exactly
what it is."
September 2016
39
