It is an ongoing dilemma when it comes to what and when children should be exposed to “adult content.” I would always be contemplating my viewpoint on this controversy.

Should children be able to watch crime shows? Although it was challenging for me to produce a claim, I believe that: children should be able to watch crime shows, but should be limited from the more extreme aspects of crime. 

More extreme aspects are: Sexual harassment, satanists, homicide, etc. The list can be altered to the parent’s personal beliefs. 

Let’s not fail to forget that not all crime show viewers are 18+. I surveyed the students at Inlet Grove and 80% of the underage students watch crime shows ranging from Criminal Minds to Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. There are many valid points, from both outlooks based on the discussion.

The many pros that I believe include: It may teach the children how to help others, may teach them on how to be safe/aware of their surroundings, and might even influence children to go into these professions if they desire. There are countless stories about children saving others, but this one truly proves my point. 

April 19, 2011, a 9-year-old boy was able to save his baby sister from drowning by performing CPR on her that he learned from watching television, The movie “Black Hawk Down”. The movie is based off of “1993 when the U.S. sent special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population,” Wikipedia said. 

This proves that children can learn what is shown to them. Crime shows can in fact show them the procedures for being a police officer and many other lessons. The other lessons can be how to be safe and aware of your surroundings. 

In this article, ‘Criminal Minds’: ‘Television’s Violent Crime and its Impact on Audiences and Reality’, it mentions that: “Whichever the case is, society is exposed to this kind of violence; some commenters even suggested that Criminal Minds had made a difference to them by making them more safety conscious in their daily lives, as the crimes fictionalised on the show do happen throughout the world. Others suggested that crime doesn’t go away if ignored, suggesting the show confronts the reality of violent crime.” Shows such as these, can develop a child’s problem solving skills as well. They can use tactics similar to investigators to solve any common situations. 

Lastly, Crime shows can even emerge a glimmer of desire they have for even pursuing a job in the law, whether it is forensics, suspect sketching, or just on the field.

Although the cons are few, they are mighty. There is no absolute guarantee of the safety regarding the subjects the children will be exposed to. There will always be moments where a child may be exposed to a darker subject or darker subjects. There are solutions to this problem. 

Parents are able to search what the show/episode is about before allowing kids to watch them depending on the contents of the episode. 

Graphic content is another level. Depending on the show, children may be reveled to brain matter, blood, intestines and even torture with crime shows. It is natural for these disturbing events to occur during the show, so parents, please monitor your child and what they are watching.