The Fascination of Children in the Horror Genre Portrayed as Evil, Demonic, or Creepy

From English 2018

The Rise of Children in Horror

For decades, children have been one of the top and most used malicious characters in the horror genre, playing anything from a spirit, to a demon, to being possessed, or just plain strange and spooky. Since movies like The Exorcist, Children of the Corn, and The Omen, this occurrence has grown in popularity and become more and more common. My research question is an inquiry on why children are often portrayed as malevolent beings in horror films and why people find it so chilling and gripping to view. There is little previous research done on this matter, and I’d like to discover the reason why and give some insight with my study.

Relating Research

I was inspired by some relevant works that delve into similar questions as mine. I have completed background research about how children handle horror, why children are perceived as innocent, and if children should be allowed to play as dangerous, malicious individuals and whether it violates any ethics.

Ideas and Perceptions About Children’s Characters

The term “childhood” was invented by Victorian-era westerners who were inspired by the Enlightenment ideals and the new testament in the Bible (Children Are Innocent par. 1). They believed children are innocent and must be protected and cherished and that there is a large difference between “innocent and instinctual goodness of children and the cynical evil of adults” (Par. 1). In the 50’s of European culture, there was a notion of “teenage hood” created, but there was still an idea of children being “a Blank Slate not yet sullied by the evils of the world” (Par. 3). The phrase, “children are innocent,” implies the idea that children are never naturally evil, so “harming one is the ultimate evil act, no matter how provoked” (Par. 4). Children are described as being “naive, gullible, and too trusting,” which demonstrates that children don’t know any better and this might allow evil to take advantage of them (Par. 1).

How Does Horror Affect Children?

Consequences of exposure to horror media for children can be anything from slightly uncomfortable or distressing to traumatic. According to a study conducted by the University of Wisconsin, horror in the media can have some pretty lasting effects on people (DeGroat par. 2). Moreover, the younger a person is when viewing horror, the likelier they are to experience issues when thinking about being put in a similar situation. To name a few; screaming and crying, nausea or vomiting, trembling or shaking, sweating, and dizziness (Par. 6). Predictably, a high number of college students are still affected by a frightful movie they watched when younger at about one fourth of the students surveyed. The effects range from “inability to sleep to avoidance of situations portrayed in those movies” (DeGroat par. 5).

Is it Ethical?

There have been numerous child stars that have been asked to dress up in terrifying outfits and makeup, perform questionable activities for the sake of the camera that could be considered inappropriate, and urged to say cringey, sometimes off-putting lines that probably shouldn’t be coming from a child’s mouth. This was the case for Linda Blair from The Exorcist, as she recalled in an interview that she “didn't really know what she was doing when she was asked to spout profanities and simulate masturbation with a crucifix” (Rose par. 4). Even worse, people’s attitudes toward her changed and she developed issues with drugs, which put a toll on her career. Oliwia Debrowska’s case wasn’t as bad after Schindler’s List, but unfortunately curiosity got the best of her and she eventually watched the movie when she was only eleven, witnessing “death and torture that most adults would find harrowing” (Rose par. 3). Some children who’ve acted in horror films carried on experiencing little to no effects while others faced terrible challenges that impacted their whole life. I suppose the question is, is it justifiable to put a child through some of these potentially harmful experiences to give a film a scary bonus?

Terrifying Aspects of An Evil Child; Why Does it Creep Us Out?

I have chosen to interview a few people for my qualitative research. I have interviewed three people and presented six questions for them to answer to learn about their opinions and interests in dark and frightening children in the horror genre, and why they think children are desired as scary options for evil antagonists in horror. Not to my surprise, the interviewees all agreed there was something unnerving when children are shown as evil because children are naturally innocent with minds hardly touched by the world. In other words, it is quite shocking for certain people to witness such a small, frail person committing the vile acts they’re seen doing in horror. As a respondent stated, “you wouldn’t expect a child to act in an evil way” (Sustaita). Innocence isn’t the only reason provided by the respondents about why children are scary in horror. One respondent mentioned she assumes that children in horror movies were “born evil,” and that evil adults could have once been ordinary (Paletta). She further explains that children also have the ability to “manipulate with their cuteness,” and possess very little “empathy or insight” causing them to appear eerier than a normal evil person. Another respondent views children as “smaller, unexpected, and they sneak around better, jump out of no where and, plus, they just look weird” (Pyles). He proceeds to describe children as “susceptible to these things, usually a lot of times through their imagination… or are let into things, often times, by demonic, scary things.” Then I asked them to share some opinions on why this is a growing trend.

Should This Be a Normalized Practice?

Interested in the interviewee’s ethical standpoints, I asked them their thoughts about the casting of children in horror movies and whether they believed it was moral or immoral. All shared a similar opinion of seeing how one could consider it unethical because there is a chance of a small lasting impact which could be a result of such action. One respondent considered how someone could see it as being wrong because “we are supposed to have hope that our children will grow up to better the world, and here they are on screen doing evil things” (Paletta). Another respondent felt that “if they’re okay with doing it then there’s nothing wrong,” but thought it was justified because “having kids in a horror film is what makes it more scary” (Sustaita). Lastly, the third respondent believed it should be allowed “as long as it doesn’t bother the little kid,” and explained that it may be wrong if the child is “exposed to things they shouldn’t be” (Pyles). In their personal opinions, they all agreed that casting children in horror movies is acceptable as long as the children aren’t harmed in any way.

In conclusion, children are depicted as scary because it appeals to certain aspects of horror that we wouldn’t normally expect. For centuries there has been the notion that children are born without sin or an ounce of bad because they haven’t been ruined by the harsh realities of the world life yet. For people to see children in the horror genre is shocking and displeasing since we are, in general, accustomed to viewing them as purely innocent and kindhearted with a need to be cradled and shielded. Many believe children are a tactical way to make a movie quite scary, and most feel there is nothing wrong with casting children in horror movies or shows unless they are exposed to inappropriateness, or negatively impacted in some way. However, this has occurred with numerous child stars that experienced some difficult times due to their participation in horror, but the people crave that added frightfulness that children bring to the table in horror.

Interview Questions

1. How scary do you find children in horror movies and why?

2. Do you feel it’s ironic that children can be one of the most frightening elements to horror films even though they’re typically seen as innocent in everyday life?

3. Why do you feel this is a popular and growing trend in filmmaking and shows?

4. Since anyone can put on professional make up and costumes with special effects on screen, what extra scariness do children bring to horror films?

5. Do you think it’s acceptable or wrong that filmmakers have children appear terrifying?

6. Do you feel it’s unethical for children to be casted and shown as a malevolent person or creature?

Citations:

1. Bühler-Niederberger, Doris. “Innocence and Childhood.” Oxford Bibliographies. 28 July. 2015. Web. 14 Feb. 2019. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199791231/obo-9780199791231-0161.xml

2. “Children Are Innocent.” TVTropes. Web. 14 Feb. 2019. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChildrenAreInnocent

3. DeGroat, Bernie. “Scary movies can have lasting effects on children and teens, study says.” The University Record. 29 March. 1999. Web. 14 Feb. 2019. http://ur.umich.edu/9899/Mar29_99/9.htm

4. Paletta, Haley. Personal Interview. 13 Feb. 2019.

5. Pyles, Evan. Personal Interview. 23 Jan. 2019.

6. Rose, Steve. “Should children be allowed to act in harrowing films?” The Guardian. 4 March. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/film/shortcuts/2013/mar/04/children-allowed-act-harrowing-films

7. Sustaita, Ana. Online Interview. 23 Jan. 2019.