Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41718429›Full record

ArticlePediatric reports2026

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

Martina Gnazzo, Giuditta Bargiacchi, Luigi Vetri, Lucia Parisi, Davide Testa, Daniela Smirni, Agata Maltese, Valentina Baldini, Giulia Pisanò, Eva Germanò and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Martina GnazzoClinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80131 Naples, Italy.
Giuditta BargiacchiClinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80131 Naples, Italy.ORCID 0009-0003-0624-3038
Luigi VetriUnità Ospedaliera Complessia-Neuro Psichiatria dell'Infanzia e dell'Adolescenza-ASP Enna, Child Neuropsychiatry Unit of Nicosia, 94014 Nicosia, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-0121-3396
Lucia ParisiDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
Davide TestaDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
Daniela SmirniDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-4410-2047
Agata MalteseDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
Valentina BaldiniDepartment of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41125 Modena, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5795-5834
Giulia PisanòDepartment of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41125 Modena, Italy.ORCID 0009-0005-2730-2791
Eva GermanòDivision of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of the Adult and Developmental Age Human Pathology, University of Messina, 98124 Messina, Italy.
Beatrice GallaiDepartment of Surgical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy.
Antonella GaglianoChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Medicine and Surgery, "Kore" 90 University of Enna, 94100 Enna, Italy.
Carola CostanzaDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9200-2772
Michele RoccellaDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7371-0228
Marco CarotenutoClinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health, Physical and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80131 Naples, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8136-7597

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

methodsIn this observational study of 228 Italian primary school children (aged 8-11), 128 who had watched

resultsAmong 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,

conclusionsAmong 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.

Indexed as

CBCLchildrencopycat behaviormedia violencescreen exposuresomatic complaintsSquid Game

Identifiers

PMID41718429
PMCPMC12922118

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.