(KP International) Heroic Hermione Granger from the 'Harry Potter' movies may in fact be a negative influence on young girls, rather than a positive role model, according to a top American psychologist.
Professor James Garbarino has recently suggested that Granger's battling against bad guys throughout the popular film series could prompt impressionable young girls to mimic the little witch's aggressive behaviour.
The main example Garbarino used in a conference on parenting was a scene from 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' when Granger socks Potter's school nemesis Draco Malfoy in the face. "Afterwards she says, 'Boy, that felt good' and she is cheered on by her friends," said Garbarino. "To tell a girl after seeing that movie that girls don't hit is preposterous. Girls hit, it feels good and people appreciate it that's the message," said Garbarino, who has worked with the FBIon criminal violence, suggests this and other films like it add to the rise of violent girls.