Children should not be allowed to see X-rated films

Oct 04, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
The trend of children being permitted to watch movies with ratings deemed inappropriate for them is one that deeply concerns me. The abovementioned pattern is substantiated by the frequent encountering of the presence of children, including toddlers, in movie theaters showing films with an age rating well above their age. Exposure to the violence and sexual content shown in movies inappropriate for children of certain ages can adversely affect their impressionable minds with lasting effects. For example, studies reveal that children who are exposed to violent media are at greater risk of themselves becoming violent.
For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics states: ”Extensive research evidence indicates that media violence can contribute to aggressive behaviour, desensitization to violence, nightmares, and fear of being harmed.” The Academy also articulates: “More than one thousand scientific studies and reviews conclude that significant exposure to media violence increases the risk of aggressive behaviour in certain children, desensitises them to violence and makes them believe that the world is a ‘meaner and scarier’ place than it is.”
Furthermore, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, American Psychological Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, and American Psychiatric Association jointly declare: “Children exposed to violent programming at a young age have a higher tendency for violent and aggressive behaviour later in life than children who are not so exposed.” Studies also reveal that exposure to sexually explicit material can negatively shape a child’s sexual attitudes and behaviours.
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection informs that, among other things, exposure to sexually explicit material can “prematurely sexualise a child, increase a child’s social acceptance of high-risk behaviour, increase a child’s risk of victimisation, incite a child to experiment with sexually explicit behaviour to make sense of it, and increase a child’s risk of problematic sexual behaviour against other children in an effort to experiment.” I appeal to parents/guardians, the Ministry of Social Protection, the authority of movie theaters, and any regulatory body (if there is such) pertinent to the subject in question to take the necessary initiatives in addressing this issue.
Kester DaCosta

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