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Reflection Post

  • Writer: Amanda Derby
    Amanda Derby
  • Apr 14, 2016
  • 6 min read

So after researching several aspects of my line of inquiry and reading a lot of different sources and information, I have learned a lot about the effects of horror movies on society, as well as the research process itself. I found answers to many questions I had going into this topic. I learned about copycat crime, genetics, studies concerning violent behavior, kids, what makes us enjoy horror, and types of horror. I wanted to know whether or not copycat crime occurred due to horror films and how prevalent it is. After reading Dr. Peter Hammond's article from movieguide.org, I realized that copycat crimes certainly exist and can be very heinous. The most common movies that cause copycat criminality seem to be Natural Born Killers, Scream, The Silence of the Lambs, A Clockwork Orange, and slasher films. However, not all of these films are horror films. It seems that not all copycat criminals are interested in the same types of films, so it would be interesting to see more research done on copycat offenders and what made them choose the films or characters they did in committing their crimes. Although copycat crimes do occur, they don't seem to be excessively often or prevalent compared to the more common single murders or mass murders that occur based on motives other than character replication. Though it may be somewhat strange to say, I don't think I'm the only one that thinks people who go through with these copycat crimes are probably very smart and conniving. This certainly doesn't mean that I agree with their actions, I mean we've already established several times I'm not a murderer nor have murderous tendencies, but it would definitely be interesting to get in the minds of these offenders and see what they think and why these movies influence them or cause certain emotions to overpower their common sense.

In addition to copycat crimes, another big issue I wanted to look into was whether or not people can have a genetic predisposition to violent behavior. This is the question that led me to probably my favorite article in this research process. The article was the one from Dailymail.com that discussed CDH13, MAOA, and brain scans of hardened criminals. I found it extremely interesting that there are in fact genes that may be associated with violent behavior. The part I found most interesting was the information about the brain scans of hardened criminals and how they have a dark area in the same spot of their brains. This was certainly new information for me and something I think could be essential to studying violence, as it seems to be a pretty big topic today. Scientists could look into these genes and brain scans and attempt to modify, substitute, or manipulate the genes in an attempt to lessen violent behavior. This is something I would still like to look into and see if any further research has been done regarding the issue. As a student pursuing a medical career, these ideas are very interesting to me and may even come up again in future research I may choose to do.

As far as the actual research process goes, I think my research went pretty well. This is my first time creating a blog, so the research and way of writing was pretty new to me. However, I enjoyed it and think it is much more engaging than writing a standard research paper. Blogging gives you an opportunity to research several aspects in a whole line of inquiry while utilizing images, videos, gifs, and all that fun stuff. The blogging tone is also much less informal as compared to formal research essays, which I am accustomed to. Since this type of research was rather new to me, I think I could have utilized different sources of information much earlier in the research process. That is to say, I wish I made use of my library's online database and books much sooner than I did. I also think that some of my sources may not be as credible as others, but I think they all have a trustworthy level of credibility and they certainly all had me engaged. I have learned how to utilize multiple sources and relate them all to one topic, yet not focus on the overall topic too much. I realize that it is sometimes better to research the little questions surrounding the big question, as these will ultimately answer the big question in the end or at least give you many new perspectives. I also learned that you can't look at solely biased sources either. Although I went into the research with an opinion, I looked at several sources that had opinions contrasting mine. Looking at both sides of an issue is a very important part of research. Many people are so biased towards many issues, including myself, yet no one wants to learn about why the opposing side feels the way they do. Learning about both sides of an issue is essential and will help you reach a final conclusion or maybe even new opinion of the issue at hand. Although I don't think anything I read or watch will deter me from my love for horror, I certainly understand much more now why those who dislike horror or are concerned with its content feel that way.

Overall, I have learned a good bit about horror films and how they affect society. I don't think there is any clear evidence yet that proves the films cause severely detrimental effects, but they certainly affect certain populations within society such as kids and those with genetic disposition to violence. However, my personal opinion after researching is that kids are the main people who could possibly be affected by horror content. Young children are certainly at risk of developing fears and sleeping problems and anxiety due to horror, as discussed in Laura J. Pearce and Andy P. Field's study and in ScienceDaily. I think that a big part of lessening crimes and behavior problems would be to not let kids see such graphic content at such young ages. Too many people just let their kids watch anything nowadays, and I think it can be a problem. Kids can internalize things much differently than we can. Those internal developments can lead to how kids will think as adults. If kids see graphic content and determine in their minds that it is super cool or they can be like the characters shown, then a problem arises. However, if we expose kids to somewhat graphic content at young ages and explain it to them in the context of right and wrong, they will understand that the content is simply entertainment and something to not be copied. I don't believe that kids should be totally sheltered from violent content, as I have mentioned a few times already. But there is a point where content becomes too intense for certain ages. I would not let my little sister who is 13 watch films by Rob Zombie, Eli Roth, or Steven R. Monroe, let alone an 8 year old or younger. Some horror films even have a temporary effect on me, so they can definitely create long-term effects in kids. As kids get older and have an understanding of horror content, then they can feel free to explore it themselves in their late teen years. When I was young, my parents showed me mild scary movies and as I got older they allowed me to watch more graphic films. Now, at the age of 20, I can watch whatever I want. I choose to watch extremely graphic horror films because I enjoy them. I love blood and guts and slashers and psychological thrillers and torture porn and creature movies and...the list could go on. But I developed an understanding that these films were mere entertainment through my parents and their ways of my upbringing. I think that parents need to be more aware of what their children are watching nowadays and be able to explain to them the ideology behind graphic content. Especially considering the increase in teen moms today. All in all, we need to regulate graphic horror content appropriately for different age groups and explain the context of content to children. Once more regulation occurs, I think that there would be less concern towards the violent media issue and people could be more at ease with the existence of graphic content, so long as it is viewed responsibly. We don't always watch scary movies, but when we do, we make sure they're appropriate (parents). I don't always watch scary movies, but when I do, I prefer graphic content (me). The difference is clear, although I'm still not old enough to be able to enjoy a Dos Equis while watching my scary movies. I really hope if you're reading this you understood that terribly corny joke. Thank you for taking an interest in my blog! :)


 
 
 

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