Citation

Colman I, Kingsbury M, Weeks M, Ataullahjan A, BéLair MA, Dykxhoorn J, Hynes K, Loro A, Martin MS, Naicker K, Pollock N, Rusu C, Kirkbride JB. BMJ 2014; 349: g7184.

Affiliation

Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bmj.g7184

PMID

25515715

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To assess the risk of on-screen death of important characters in children's animated films versus dramatic films for adults.

DESIGN: Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with Cox regression comparing time to first on-screen death. SETTING: Authors' television screens, with and without popcorn. PARTICIPANTS: Important characters in 45 top grossing children's animated films and a comparison group of 90 top grossing dramatic films for adults. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Time to first on-screen death.

RESULTS: Important characters in children's animated films were at an increased risk of death compared with characters in dramatic films for adults (hazard ratio 2.52, 95% confidence interval 1.30 to 4.90). Risk of on-screen murder of important characters was higher in children's animated films than in comparison films (2.78, 1.02 to 7.58).

CONCLUSIONS: Rather than being the innocuous form of entertainment they are assumed to be, children's animated films are rife with on-screen death and murder.

Language: en