PG-13 movies are getting ever more violent, particularly when it comes to guns. That’s the word from a new study published in the journal Pediatrics. For the study, researchers examined nearly 1,000 popular movies released between 1950 and 2012. They found that since the PG-13 rating was introduced in 1985, the violence in such movies has grown steadily—particularly violence predicated on gun use.

On average, there are about two instances of gun violence an hour in PG-13 movies, often exceeding what’s seen in R-rated fare.

“Violence sells,” says Daniel Romer, one of the study’s authors. “We recognize that, and the movie industry realizes it…We just think violence, especially the kind being shown, especially with guns, should be thought of a little more critically.” (New York Times)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife Wendy and his two children. Follow him on Twitter.