Teens and R Rated Movies

Q: I think I am the "only parent" who won't allow my children to watch R rated movies. Actually, I feel peer pressure from other parents, because they think I am too strict when I won't let my son who is 10 and daughter who is 12 go to movies with their kids. I think about all the adult content and violence they are exposed to when they are just watching the news with the family, and wonder how much more influence these R movies really have on children this age.

A: Dartmouth Medical School recently surveyed 4500 school children grades five through eight, and found that kids who are forbidden to watch R-rated movies are at least three times less likely to take up drinking and smoking than those with no movie restrictions, regardless of how strict their parents are. The statistics showed that among kids who were allowed to see R movies, 46% had tried alcohol, and 35% had tried cigarettes, compared to only 2-4% of the no R movies group.

Kids in this age group are influenced by movies as much as they are influenced by their peers. The characters look cool, and that's what they try to imitate. And smoking and drinking are just part of the package in many R-rated movies.

The Dartmouth survey indicates that you are doing the right thing by forbidding your child to watch these movies.

Here are some steps you can take to help guide viewing:
· Check Screenit.com for a movie rating of factors such as smoking, drinking, profanity and even bad attitude
· Most late model TV's have a V-chip you can activate to block shows with violence, sex, language and more
· Go to video stores together. Videos are not always organized by their rating, so it helps to have a parent to read the fine print.

Congratulations on sticking to your parenting standards, and not giving in to adult peer pressure.

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