violence vs. sex & children

[Motokid]

Do you think it's more harmful to children to be barraged with images of sex, or violence?

Television, movies,video games, the internet, books and music are all getting more graphic on both fronts. Which one would you prefer your child to be exposed to? Or should there be more censorship on both fronts?

Which one would you be more concerned about if you knew your child had access to it on a daily basis?

Apologies if this has been discussed at length in another thread.

 

[honeydevil]

Do you think it's more harmful to children to be barraged with images of sex, or violence?

Which one would you be more concerned about if you knew your child had access to it on a daily basis?

i don't know, i guess i would try to avoid violence!! but i think a lot of things come from the parents, when they are violent, the child just thinks its normal, it doesn't know better!!
hmm... i'm not really concerned about the sex stuff, i just think it is a part of life, but violence not!! we can survive without violence!!

 

[Geenh]

I must say that I agree. As long as the sex isn't violent, I would rather my daughter view/read about that. Violence is not a necessity in life. On the otehr hand, I don't want to shield her entirely because violence is quite prevalent in our society and as parents, I believe we should prepare them for the world appropriately.

That said, my parents tried to keep violence away from me but I rebelled something fierce and watched/read extensively about it. I have not been harmed. It's a balance, I reckon.

 

[RitalinKid]

My psychology prof in college said that even though there are negative effects in exposing children to sex, the effects of violence are much worse. However, if your children are exposed to violence or sex, it always helps to have a parent that's not too ashamed to explain to the child what he has seen.

 

[Geenh]

The way I've been balancing it is to let her find her own way (also, following the restrictions 'MA' on movies) and then answering her questions as best I can about what she feels and sees.

 

[Billy Oblivion]

Violence and sex with children? Yes, I'm all for that.

 

[honeydevil]

My psychology prof in college said that even though there are negative effects in exposing children to sex, the effects of violence are much worse. However, if your children are exposed to violence or sex, it always helps to have a parent that's not too ashamed to explain to the child what he has seen.

sounds logic to me!! i know that violence is a part of this society, but still i think that we should not try to introduce children to violence, it scares the hell out of them and if you scared of the world you have no chance to survive without scars!!

 

[Geenh]

I never said that I introduced my daughter to violence. Ever watched the evening news?? Makes ME cry and I'm all grown up! It's easier to explain away mystical monsters than the ones they show on the television each night at 6pm.

It's a matter of balance.

 

[honeydevil]

I never said that I introduced my daughter to violence. Ever watched the evening news?? Makes ME cry and I'm all grown up! It's easier to explain away mystical monsters than the ones they show on the television each night at 6pm.

It's a matter of balance.

sorry, don't wanted to offend you!! you're right it is easier to explain fiction monster, then the real world!! the world is crazy!!

 

[Geenh]

Nah. Not offended. The world is a scary place to let our children free in! My daughter will be 15 and I know I won't be able to protect her for much longer. Sad for me, exciting for her.

 

[honeydevil]

Nah. Not offended. The world is a scary place to let our children free in! My daughter will be 15 and I know I won't be able to protect her for much longer. Sad for me, exciting for her.

they come back to you, believe me!! and you have always the chance of another one!!

 

[Geenh]

Medical intervention has stopped that from being an option!

 

[honeydevil]

Medical intervention has stopped that from being an option!

sorry to hear that!!

 

[Motokid]

o.k.

So here's a few examples:

What age would you say it's appropriate to let your child watch Scarface?

What age would you let your child listen to Eminem?

What age would you let your kid read a Penthouse Forum?

What age would you ley your child play that video game where the object is to carjack somebody, pick up hookers, and randomly kill people for points?
I think it's called Vice City or something like that?

What age would you feel comfortable letting your kid watch Jerry Springer?
Or listen to Howard Stern?

It's not so much about sex and violance, but about how graphic it's becoming. There's not much left to the imagination any more.

 

[Stewart]

Do you think it's more harmful to children to be barraged with images of sex, or violence?

Not at all. Newspapers over in the UK blatantly show tits on page 3 without causing any offence. It's only when it comes to Superbowls and such stuff that a certain bunch of nutters decide they have to protect the children.

Protect them from what? A pair of tits? A set of buttocks? A pair of bollocks? Chances are, if they are human, they'll already have one or two of these things.

It's the people who try and suppress these things that create potential implosions whether it be to rape, murder, serial masturbation, inablity to talk about sex, inability to talk to the other sex, and whatever else. Everyone in school knew where babies came from and what sex was when we were around seven years old - made the birds and the bees 'talk' a bit easier four or five years later.

Television, movies,video games, the internet, books and music are all getting more graphic on both fronts. Which one would you prefer your child to be exposed to? Or should there be more censorship on both fronts?

No censorship, please. I've been watching 18 rated movies from a very early age. I must have been 3 when I saw The Evil Dead but I can still remember sitting in the living room and watching it...on Betamax
It never affected me.

Exposing people to life's little taboos makes them more likely to appreciate, understand, and cope with them should they be thrown or happen upon them.

Which one would you be more concerned about if you knew your child had access to it on a daily basis?

I'd be more worried about drugs than media.

 

[Stewart]

What age would you say it's appropriate to let your child watch Scarface?

Whatever age they are when they want to.

What age would you let your child listen to Eminem?

Whatever age they are when they want to.

What age would you let your kid read a Penthouse Forum?

Whatever age they are when they want to.

What age would you ley your child play that video game where the object is to carjack somebody, pick up hookers, and randomly kill people for points?

Whatever age they are when they want to.

What age would you feel comfortable letting your kid watch Jerry Springer?
Or listen to Howard Stern?

Whatever age they are when they want to.

Never stifle someone's development by your own inabilty to cope with things or what you perceive another's strengths or weaknesses to be.

 

[novella]

So here's a few examples:

What age would you say it's appropriate to let your child watch Scarface?

What age would you let your child listen to Eminem?

What age would you let your kid read a Penthouse Forum?

What age would you ley your child play that video game where the object is to carjack somebody, pick up hookers, and randomly kill people for points?
I think it's called Vice City or something like that?

What age would you feel comfortable letting your kid watch Jerry Springer?
Or listen to Howard Stern?

It's not so much about sex and violance, but about how graphic it's becoming. There's not much left to the imagination any more.

All these questions are posed with the assumption that the kid will want to watch sex or violence, will prefer it to other activities. I mean, I don't like that stuff. Do you? I don't really like to hang out with people who are into those things.

My goal as a parent is to raise a kid who is not that interested in graphic violence or pornography. Every kid has a natural curiosity about sex, and an even deeper curiosity about love and sexual relationships. Most kids enjoy a little light-sabre battle or watching a comedian smash his head into a tree.

On the other hand, anyone of any age who's comfortable and happy watching explicit, abusive pornography or graphic violent death, whether real or staged, is not the person I want my kid to be.

For me, the solution is to always make all material available and discuss it. So I agree with Stewart, with the caveat that healthy personal development is something parents can nurture and coach.

For example, when my son was really small he pulled Maus off the bookshelf and started looking at it. He immediately liked the dogs and cats (the Americans and Nazis) but was ambivalent about the mice (the Jews). Spiegleman was so successful in portraying the plight of the Jews in Poland that my son immediately sensed their weakness and vulnerability and shied away from them, preferring the powerful characters. So we had many many talks about WWII, read the book many many times, and eventually his view developed into something remarkable for a little kid. Now he loves to read history and knows the difference between propaganda and news.

Long post, but . . . oh, well.

 

[novella]

I should add that I would have to force my kid to watch Scarface, listen to Eminem, or watch Jerry Springer.

He ran out of the room when the groundhog crashed the truck in Groundhog Day. He thinks parts of Caddyshack are a bit too nasty.

On the other hand, he's really good at Frisbee and hackysack and plays wicked jazz trumpet.

But if he wanted to watch Scarface, I would watch it with him and explain the political implications during the commercials.

 

[Motokid]

have kids?

Stewart: do you have kids?

I'm not of the belief that a kid is ready for something when they say they are ready. I will not condone smoking even tho many people do it. I won't permit alcohol consumption just because they want it. I won't let my kids drive a car until they are "old enough to do it".

I will not give my 12 year old access to pornography, or extreme violence whether she asks for it or not. There's plenty of time later in life to explore all those things. You may feel it did nothing to harm you. That's cool.

Novella: I was talking about Scarface the movie with Al Pacino. There would not be any commercials. Just a couple hours of the "F" word and intense violence. Great representation of drug wars, and life of drugs, but not something kids really need access to is it?

Be happy your child is not wanting to be older than they are. Unfortunately other parents let their kids do as they please. My child believes she's missing something really great because of the way other kids talk. She wants access to things I'm not ready to give, and I don't believe she's ready to handle.

 

[Stewart]

Stewart: do you have kids?

No. Too young for that.

I'm not of the belief that a kid is ready for something when they say they are ready. I will not condone smoking even tho many people do it. I won't permit alcohol consumption just because they want it.

Read again what I said about media over drugs.

I will not give my 12 year old access to pornography, or extreme violence whether she asks for it or not.

That's your prerogative. I would call you overbearing in that respect.

Just a couple hours of the "F" word and intense violence. Great representation of drug wars, and life of drugs, but not something kids really need access to is it?

Of course they do, if they want.

I blame the flipside of media for all this over protectiveness of children - they have their buzzwords which helps instill fear in the general populace. Words like paedophile create mass - yet unnecessary - panic and the occasional witchhunt.

So, a tsunami kills almost ¼million people, aeroplanes fly into the World Trade Center, Palestinian children blow themselves up in Israel. Killers, rapists, pornographers, robbers, muggers, etc. dominate the news - shown at any time of the day - and come plastered across newspapers and you are worrying about Al Pacino uttering a few 'fucks'?