As the debate around gun control in the U.S. has crescendoed, gun violence in Hollywood films with PG-13 ratings is becoming more acceptable, according to a new study.
Parents with children under the age of 17 are more desensitized to gun violence when it’s deemed justified, according to the study from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania.
The study determines justified gun violence as that which is used in the defense of a loved one or for self-protection. Unjustified gun violence would be when it has no socially redeeming purpose.
While gun violence was more acceptable when it was justified, parents did think the movies would be more suitable for teens age 15 and older, rather than the recommended 13 years old and older by the Motion Picture Association of America.