Industry Television Ratings for Violence, Sex, and Substance Use Joy Gabrielli, PhD, a Aminata Traore, BA, a Mike Stoolmiller, PhD, b Elaina Bergamini, BA,a James D. Sargent, MDa, c OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the industry-run television (TV) Parental Guidelines abstract discriminate on violence, sexual behavior, alcohol use, and smoking in TV shows, to assess their usefulness for parents. METHODS: Seventeen TV shows (323 episodes and 9214 episode minutes) across several TV show rating categories (TVY7, TVPG, TV14, and TVMA) were evaluated. We content- coded the episodes, recording seconds of each risk behavior, and we rated the salience of violence in each one. Multilevel models were used to test for associations between TV rating categories and prevalence of risk behaviors across and within episodes or salience of violence. RESULTS: Every show had at least 1 risk behavior. Violence was pervasive, occurring in 70% of episodes overall and for 2.3 seconds per episode minute. Alcohol was also common (58% of shows, 2.3 seconds per minute), followed by sex (53% of episodes, 0.26 seconds per minute), and smoking (31% of shows, 0.54 seconds per minute). TV Parental Guidelines did not discriminate prevalence estimates of TV episode violence. Although TV-Y7 shows had significantly less substance use, other categories were poor at discriminating substance use, which was as common in TV-14 as TV-MA shows. Sex and gory violence were the only behaviors demonstrating a graded increase in prevalence and salience for older-child rating categories. CONCLUSIONS: TV Parental Guidelines ratings were ineffective in discriminating shows for 3 out of 4 behaviors studied. Even in shows rated for children as young as 7 years, violence was prevalent, prominent, and salient. TV ratings were most effective for identification of sexual behavior and gory violence. NIH WHAT’S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: A voluntary, a Norris Cotton Cancer Center, and cDepartment of Pediatrics, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire; and bDepartment of Pediatrics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan industry-run TV Parental Guidelines rating system has existed for 20 years to help parents decide Dr Gabrielli conceived of the study, conducted the data analysis, integrated the fi ndings, which shows are appropriate for children; yet the developed a policy interpretation, and edited and approved the fi nal manuscript as submitted; usefulness of TV ratings in discriminating shows on Ms Traore contributed to study ideas, wrote the initial draft of the manuscript, and conducted risk-behavior depiction remains unclear. the literature review; Dr Stoolmiller oversaw and consulted on data analyses and edited and approved the fi nal submission; Ms Bergamini developed and supervised the implementation and WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: Violence was prevalent reliability of the content analysis and edited and approved the fi nal submission; and Dr Sargent across all shows, regardless of rating, so parents conceived of the study, developed the content analysis, drafted portions of the manuscript, and could not rely on TV Parental Guidelines to screen oversaw the development of and reviewed all aspects of the manuscript. for this behavior. Only TV-7 consistently predicted DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-0487 lower levels of sex, alcohol, or tobacco, compared Accepted for publication Jun 29, 2016 with TV-PG, TV-14, and TV-MA. Address correspondence to James D. Sargent, Rubin 8, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, One Medical Center Dr, Lebanon, NH 03756. E-mail: james.d.sargent@ dartmouth.edu To cite: Gabrielli J, Traore A, Stoolmiller M, et al. Industry PEDIATRICS (ISSN Numbers: Print, 0031-4005; Online, 1098-4275). Television Ratings for Violence, Sex, and Substance Use. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics Pediatrics. 2016;138(3):e20160487 Downloaded from www.aappublications.org/news by guest on September 30, 2021 PEDIATRICS Volume 138 , number 3 , September 2016 :e 20160487 ARTICLE Almost 20 years have passed have strengthened the notion find unsuitable for children under since Congress approved the that viewing sexual content on TV 14 years of age.” TV-MA is listed as Telecommunications Act of 1996. affects risky sexual behavior among “mature audience only, ” because it is In Section 551 (“Parental Choice adolescents and increases the risk a program “specifically designed to in Television Programming”), of teen pregnancy. 5, 6 Moreover, be viewed by adults and therefore Congress noted: (1) “television studies have documented a robust may be unsuitable for children under influences children’s perceptions relation between seeing depictions 17.” Seven shows were purposively of values and behavior common of smoking and drinking in movies chosen because they were popular and acceptable in society, ” (2) and youth substance use.7 – 10 with youth (identified through the “television shows expose children Subsequently, concerns about media Nielsen list of shows most popular to many depictions of violence, ” (3) effects on youth behavior appear with youth aged 12–17 years), and “children so exposed are prone to even more justified by the science, 10 other shows were purposively see violence as acceptable and have and research suggests that parental chosen given the high likelihood of greater tendency for aggressive guidelines should include behaviors the presence of risk behaviors with behavior, ” (4) “casual treatment beyond sex and violence, such as the intent to maximize statistical of sexual material on television alcohol and tobacco use. 11 power to find TV rating effects, if erodes parental ability to develop they existed. The 17 shows (154 As stated in their own responsible attitudes and behavior in hours across 323 episodes) with documentation, the TV industry their children, ” (5) “parents express descriptions of air times, ratings, recognized that the usefulness grave concern over violent and and episodes are provided of the TV Parental Guidelines for sexual programming,” and (6) “there in Table 1. informing parents would be based in is compelling governmental interest part on their “accuracy, uniformity in empowering parents to limit Experienced (>10 years of previous and consistency.” 2 In a literature these negative influences.” 1 Congress content-coding work) media search on “TV Parental Guidelines” instructed the telecommunications coders screened episodes and we were able to identify studies industry to develop a television (TV) digitally timed each of the 4 risk that either examined, through ratings system and TV manufacturers behaviors. Reliability across coders content coding, the presence of to integrate hardware (the V-chip) to was conducted by double coding various risk behaviors 12 – 14 or how allow parents to block objectionable a random sample of 10% of the parents perceive and use the ratings episodes, with κ estimates ranging content. 15–17 system, but were surprised to from 0.72 to 0.94. The guidelines The TV industry responded that year find limited tests of its accuracy, determined by the Dartmouth with the TV Parental Guidelines, uniformity, or consistency across risk Visual Media Project for coding risk structured around a similar self- behaviors. The present research is behaviors are described below. regulatory system previously a first attempt to quantify violence, Concurrent depiction of a risk developed for motion pictures. sex, and alcohol and tobacco use in behavior by 2 or more characters in a Shows are rated by the companies a sample of TV programs according scene was only timed once. that produce them and classified into to the TV Parental Guideline rating rating categories based on content category. and appropriateness for different age Violence groups. The industry established a Violent behavior was defined as TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring METHODS depiction of the use of force by people Board to “ensure accuracy, We selected TV shows across 4 rating or anthropomorphized characters that uniformity, and consistency of the categories (ie, TV-Y7, TV-PG, TV-14, physically harmed animate beings as guidelines.” 2 The rating categories and TV-MA) as defined by the TV well as any credible threat of physical were integrated into programming Parental Guidelines. 2 TV-Y7 is defined force intended to harm animate to allow parents to see the rating for as being “directed to older children” beings. Violence had to be intentional each show and to block by rating (or (age 7 years and above). TV-PG and did not include accidental or channel) using V-chip technology. is defined as “parental guidance unintentional physical contact. Visible In the ensuing 20 years, research suggested” and may “contain material physical consequences of violent acts confirms the prescience of Congress’ that parents may find unsuitable for immediately after acts of violence expressed concerns. Studies have younger children.” TV-14 is denoted were timed as well (ie, someone identified relations between viewing as “parents strongly cautioned,” bleeding after a stabbing). Sanctioned media violence and aggression in as it is a program that “contains violence in sports contexts, with the children. 3, 4 Prospective studies material that many parents would exception of boxing and martial arts, Downloaded from www.aappublications.org/news by guest on September 30, 2021 2 GABRIELLI et al TABLE 1 Listing of TV Program Sample Name Air Times Season TV Rating Years Sampled No. of Episodes Shows selected as most popular with youth