Copycat Behavior and Somatic Symptoms in Italian Children Exposed to a Violent TV Series: An Observational Study of...

Background: Violent TV series and streaming content are increasingly accessible to children, raising concerns about behavioral imitation and psychological effects. This study examined copycat behaviors and associated emotional and somatic symptoms among children who reported watching the age-restricted series Squid Game.

In this observational study of 228 Italian primary school children (aged 8-11), 128 who had watched Squid Game formed the analytic sample. They were categorized into a Copycat Behavior (CB) group or a Non-Copycat Behavior (NCB) group based on self-reported imitation of scenes or games from the series. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Group differences were assessed using Mann-Whitney U tests, and gender distribution was compared with Chi-square tests (α = 0.05).

Among viewers, 42 children (32%) engaged in imitation behaviors, typically reenacting game-based violent scenes with friends (52%), siblings (28%), or classmates (20%). Age and gender distributions did not differ between groups. The CB group scored slightly higher on the CBCL Somatic Complaints scale compared with the NCB group (M = 54.12 vs. 52.92; U = 1414.5, p = 0.033), although this difference was small. No significant differences emerged on other CBCL syndrome or broadband scales.

Among children engaging in copycat behaviors exhibited a small, subclinical increase in somatic complaints. While causality cannot be inferred, the findings highlight the need to protect vulnerable children-particularly those prone to somatic distress-from unsupervised access to violent, age-inappropriate content. Media literacy for parents and educators, and longitudinal studies including non-viewers are recommended.