Sunday, August 06, 2006

Law and Order: SVU

I watched an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit on Channel 5 last night: it was an episode called "Angels" from season 4. (I always want to call it Law & Order SUV).

Its plot was based around the cracking of a paedophile ring. I wish I hadn't watched it, really, as it has left an unpleasant, uncomfortable feeling with me. I don't usually watch programmes with this type of theme as they leave me feeling anxious and physically sick, often, even when entirely fictional.

I was wondering today what sort of guidelines protect the child actors? The young lads in this show were supposedly between 7 and 11, I think. But whether they were older, playing the parts of younger boys, I don't know. I am uncomfortable because it exposes the child actors to very disturbing ideas. It's not that anything was hugely graphic, but the boys had to act the parts of molested children telling their experiences to the police. It's one thing knowing that there are bad people in the world and knowing not to keep secrets, stranger danger, good & bad touching, and having ownership of their own bodies, but I don't know.. It would be too much for me, as a parent, I think, if my children were actors. :S

I wonder how such issues are handled within the acting community and in tv studios.

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