The Student Room Group

Father looking up grotesque images, how to react?

Hi everyone,
I've caught my dad looking up grotesque images online at least 3 times now. Just 5 minutes ago I walked in on him looking up pictures of mutilated bodies. He knew he couldnt quickly close the site, so he simply said "there are some sick people out there!" and proceeded to browse through more images, commenting on them.
Should I be shocked by this? I dont know how to react...
He's now watching al queda videos, I can hear them. He used to be in the police - maybe he's just not affected by that kind of violence etc?

I dont know... any comments welcome.

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desensitise yourself. Being upset by it is a significant weakness.
Anonymous
Hi everyone,
I've caught my dad looking up grotesque images online at least 3 times now. Just 5 minutes ago I walked in on him looking up pictures of mutilated bodies. He knew he couldnt quickly close the site, so he simply said "there are some sick people out there!" and proceeded to browse through more images, commenting on them.
Should I be shocked by this? I dont know how to react...
He's now watching al queda videos, I can hear them. He used to be in the police - maybe he's just not affected by that kind of violence etc?

I dont know... any comments welcome.
A lot of people do it, don't worry too much. It's like an irresistable urge to see what really goes on in the world because our media is quite heavily filtered.
I think it's just a normal fascination, like how other people have wierd things they like to watch/read about.
My dad loves watching murder things, documentaries about horrific crimes, dead bodies, autopsy things, etc.
I think some people are just fascinated by the things.
My dad doesn't look stuff up online, just watches the programmes. Maybe you could ask your dad about the wierd hobby of his?
dont worry about it, human beings are pretty gruesome creature much of the time hence why we are so fond of violent books/games/films.

Get worried when he brings home a dissected jogger and starts photoing it on the family dinner table
Reply 5
it's better than walking in on your brother watching porn.


trust me.
enquire with your father reduce need habit.
Reply 7
I wouldn't worry, I used to look at some myself and got used to more or less with 4chan's /b/. Terribly sick first but then it's just a fascination I think. You shouldn't be shocked, it's only natural and I doubt there's anything to worry about, should this be his only guilty 'pleasure' if I can say that
I thought you were going to say he'd been looking at porn! But yeah, maybe he's just wanting to see what really goes on in the world or is maybe desensitising himself.
grace
it's better than walking in on your brother watching porn.


trust me.


*Shudders*
One of my friends looks at this kind of stuff. I think it's a bit odd, but he is a lovely guy. I can vaguely understand it, but wouldn't look myself. Having said that, I did watch Saddam hang purely because of the massive media coverage and it was interesting to see what they were talking about. Anyway, I wouldn't worry - it doesn't make him a bad person (or, by the sound of things, particularly unusual either).
Reply 11
People have interests in different things, your father has an interest in seeing media from other parts of the world since like mentioned the media in the UK is different as in what is filtered out. Maybe he's just curious and nothing more...

I guess if you're having a problem with hearing the videos from the other room/a distance just tell him that you're uncomfortable hearing the sounds of people being killed across the room and ask him to put the volume down; if you want why don't you just ask him why he has a fascination on seeing pictures/videos of mutilated bodies?
Reply 12
Na, its just a general interest, nowt to worry about. People get intriged by different things. If it was me i'd just take the mick a bit and have a bit of a laugh about it with him.
I don't think the issue is necessarily with what he's looking at, more that it upsets you. If you share a house and you don't like catching him looking at these things, just tell him straight. There's no need to get angry or anything, just say that what he looks at on the internet is his business but would he mind waiting til you're out of the house? I fully understand it can be extremely upsetting to see this kind of thing for the first time - it took me ages to get over being unwittingly shown a video of one of the Al-Quaeda beheadings - but as others have said some people do have a morbid fascination with the gruesome, and if these images are from current affairs then maybe your dad has his own private reasons for wanting to see exactly what goes on rather than the sanitised images we see on the news.
Reply 14
Thanks very much for the reassuring and informative replies everyone. If I could rep you all, I would.
Reply 15
I wouldn't be to worried about it, alot of people purely look at these sorts of images out of curiosity.], or interest out of whats going on in other parts of the world.
If it was anything to be concerned about he would try to keep it more of a secret or make some lame excuse about how he ended up there by accident.
Reply 16
Is he looking at them in a place where you can't avoid him? You still have to respect his privacy. If he's sitting in the living room flicking through them, talk to him and tell him they disturb you and ask if he could watch in his room? or somewhere private. If he's watching in his room or not being overly blatant and you're barging in then...learn to knock.
Was he touching himself at the time?
Reply 18
Fluent in Lies
Was he touching himself at the time?


Was just about to say that!
Reply 19
Does it matter if he was?