At the movies: The changing face of interpersonal violence in cinema

Introduction

The negative effects of media exposure to interpersonal violence (IPV) have been a controversial topic for decades. Our aims were to identify the prevalence and trend of maxillofacialrelated IPV in top grossing movies 50 years apart to look for changing patterns of portrayal in mainstream cinema.

Methods

The 20 highest-grossing movies from 1970 to 2020 were identified. Each instance of maxillofacial-related IPV was identified and the following data points were analyzed: type of IPV (blunt/penetrating), the injury sustained, gender of the assailant and the victim as well as their relationship, the use of drugs and/or alcohol, any physical and/or legal consequences and if hospitalisation was required.

Results

From the movies examined, 13/20 in 1970 and 14/20 in 2020 showed episodes of maxillofacial-related IPV. There was a higher number overall of maxillofacial-related IPV in 2020 (n=54) compared to 1970 (n=30). In 1970s movies, assailants were more frequently known to their victims (96.7 % vs 66.7 %, p=0.01) and maxillofacial-related IPV was more likely to involve alcohol and/or drugs (16.7 % vs 1.9 %, p=0.01). Victims were rarely hospitalized in either 1970 or 2020 cinema (0 % and 3.7 % respectively), assailants rarely suffered legal consequences (13.3 % and 5.6 % respectively) and these differences were not significant.

Conclusion

Little has changed in mainstream cinema concerning the prevalence of maxillofacial-related IPV between 1970 and 2020, but there are subtle differences in how this is portrayed. The overarching notion that such injuries do not culminate in either hospitalisation and/or legal ramifications remains.