Moms and dads are OK with their kids watching PG-13 movies with intense gun violence as long as the mayhem is "justified," such as in defense of a loved one or for self-protection, a new study reveals.
But even when "justified" gun play occurs, parents say those films are more suitable for teens age 15 and up -- two years older than suggested by Hollywood’s PG-13 rating.
"The findings suggest that parents may want a new rating, PG-15, for movies with intense violence," said Daniel Romer, lead author of the study at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
"Violent movies often get a PG-13 rating by omitting the consequences of violence such as blood and suffering, and by making the use of violence seem justified. But parents of teenagers say that even scenes of justified violence are upsetting and more appropriate for teens who are at least 15."
According to the Annenberg Center, gun violence in the most popular PG-13 movies has more than doubled since the rating was introduced in 1984, and now exceeds the gun violence in comparable R-rated films.
And in the growing acceptance of gun violence in PG-13 films, researchers found that parents appeared to become desensitized to violence as they watched successive movie clips.
In an experiment, they showed 610 parents scenes of "justified" violence from such PG-13 flicks as "Live Free or Die Hard" (2007), "White House Down" (2013), "Terminator Salvation" (2009), and "Taken" (2008). They also screened clips of unjustified violence from the PG-13 movies "Skyfall" (2012) and "Jack Reacher" (2012).
Parents were less upset by the justified violence and more lenient in deciding the appropriate age for a child to watch it. Most of the parents said the movies with justified violence were suitable starting at age 15, while the movies with unjustified violence were appropriate starting at age 16.
The Motion Picture Association of America has five ratings: G, for general audiences; PG, some material may not be suitable for children; PG-13, parents strongly cautioned, some material may be inappropriate for children under 13; R, under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian; and NC-17, no one under 17 admitted, period.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.