INSTRUCTIONS

​

All guns appearing onscreen should be counted. Every type of handheld gun whether actual/real or fantastical (e.g., futuristic ray guns or tasers) should be counted as a gun because they operate as real guns would and the goal is usually to aim and fire.

 

FILM/TV/Digital

 

Guns appearing onscreen are counted as many times as they appear in a scene. (e.g. if the same gun appears in a scene from 15 different angles that gun is counted 15 times. Occurrences are counted in this way due to the amount of time each visual representation of a gun occupies the screen.

TOY GUNS & HEAVY ARTILLERY

 

Toy guns and heavy artillery are excluded from coding totals because toy guns don’t operate as a real gun and heavy artillery is generally not carried by hand and don’t have a traditional trigger. Missile or strafing systems on fighter jets, bazookas, mounted weapons, etc. are not included. Included guns are the types of weapons to which the average person might have realistic access.

ADDITIONAL CODING OPPORTUNITY: HOW GUNS ARE USED IN A PARTICULAR SETTING

 

Guns that appear in settings where they are used can be coded according to the type of use. Guns drawn, fired and used to inflict harm will be coded as such.

 

• Drawn

• Fired

• Caused bodily harm

• Number of bodies harmed

GUNS APPEARING IN A NON-USE SETTING

 

Guns appearing in a non-use setting will be coded for how they appear. This measure allows us to track gun portrayal independently of whether or not violence occurs onscreen, whether gun violence or otherwise.

 

• Holstered

• Held

• Tabled

• Mounted on a wall

• Locked in a case

​​