| Ever since the book has been with us, parents | | | | household chores." |
| and "concerned individuals" have raised "causes" | | | | The organisation was set up in 1968 so it took |
| against certain publications. Video games are now | | | | them 1 year to come to that conclusion. So |
| their latest target after their efforts on the film | | | | should we look again to the parents? Have you |
| industry failed. | | | | seen the movie "Cable guy" starring Jim Carrey? |
| There is some evidence that suggests pre-teens | | | | In it he plays a cable repair technician who has a |
| are influenced by violent computer games. This is | | | | severe lack of social awareness due to watching |
| said to lead to more aggressive behaviour. It's | | | | too much television as a child. Because of this he |
| been linked to attacks that have led to severe | | | | doesn't quite know how to interact with people. |
| injuries and unfortunately, deaths. I actually have | | | | Does this mean that parents are sitting their kids |
| no argument with this and agree that under 18's | | | | down in front of the television rather than |
| should not play violent games. You'll never stop | | | | teaching them life lessons personally? Are they |
| them though! | | | | violent in response to lack of parental concern? I |
| When I was (a lot!) younger it was not hard for | | | | cannot in good conscience agree however much |
| my friends to lay their hands on a copy of the | | | | I'd like to. You could quite easily argue that it's the |
| latest 18 rated film offering. Banned films were | | | | violent messages on the television that |
| rarely a problem too. I'm sure it's the same for | | | | encourages violent behaviour. |
| many my age, nor current pre-teens. I can safely | | | | There may be some truth there too. Maybe kids |
| say I was never inclined to reproduce any of | | | | can pick up behavioural traits from a video game, |
| those acts shown! I did know kids who went | | | | I know that my friends and I would do so from |
| around with knives, mainly to show off. However, | | | | films. I'm not talking violent traits specifically here. |
| they were the ones who didn't play video games! | | | | But then when parents see them acting out skits |
| Because of this complexity of this subject, I | | | | from these films do they start to panic? Do they |
| decided to do some research like all good writers. | | | | question from where they've learnt these bad |
| And like all good writers I wanted evidence to | | | | words or strange phrases. Distinction between the |
| support what I thought I already knew! None of | | | | virtual world and reality however would normally |
| my new found sources could agree on this issue | | | | prevent these traits from "spilling over" into |
| though and I found lots of conflicting evidence out | | | | day-to-day life. This is where I feel the major |
| there. For example, there was an interesting book | | | | problems start. Why some people have trouble |
| written called "Grand Theft Childhood". This | | | | with this distinction is not my area of expertise. |
| describes a study of over a thousand children and | | | | However we've all heard on the news of |
| the games they play. They came to the | | | | someone re-enacting a film or game and it goes |
| conclusion that there is indeed a link between | | | | horribly wrong. This is normally because one of |
| violent computer games and aggressive behaviour | | | | the participants has taken it far too seriously. In |
| towards others. On the other foot, they also say | | | | these situations I cannot help but believe that the |
| that not playing these games can also increase a | | | | individual in question is just plain mental! |
| child's level of aggression! | | | | On that note, is it the individual who has a |
| What's going on here? Surely it's one-way or the | | | | problem? Has the issue got absolutely nothing to |
| other? | | | | do with violent games but rather that some kids |
| When considering this I wondered if it was just | | | | have psychological conditions? I'm sure in some of |
| lack of violent games, or lack of playing games | | | | the extreme cases this is certainly true. But |
| altogether. After all, everyone needs to de-stress. | | | | talking all things psychological and putting games |
| Perhaps killing virtual coppers and pedestrians is | | | | films aside, what other conditions actually spark |
| more stress busting than a few hours of Zuma | | | | off violence? |
| for some people? Again, calling upon my own | | | | It's widely believed that disagreements of any |
| experience, I was only allowed a certain amount | | | | kind are usually the precursor to violent behaviour. |
| of time on games when I was younger. Perhaps | | | | It's quite rare that someone simply thumps |
| it's the fault of the parents for their lack of game | | | | someone for no reason. So the disagreement |
| time monitoring? I'm not sure that fits though, | | | | escalates and reaches a point where dialogue no |
| since you'd only have to see that kind of | | | | longer serves a purpose. Sometimes the reasons |
| on-screen action for a short time to become | | | | for the disagreement can be quite tenuous and it |
| desensitised to it. | | | | appears widely considered that Video games are |
| So is the answer to stop making these games? | | | | often used as an excuse in these cases. After all, |
| Are RockStar and other game studios to blame? | | | | who wants to appear in court and say they killed |
| Surely eliminating violence from games will reduce | | | | someone because of "what he said about my |
| the level of violent crime in the pre-teen | | | | football team"? |
| demographic? Does anyone seriously believe that? | | | | That brings us back to the main issue. Can PC |
| There's always going to be violence, as a species | | | | and video games be used as an excuse for this |
| we're violent and greedy and mean. That's not | | | | behaviour? Are they the influence that has caused |
| going to change overnight nor with the removal | | | | person A to harm person B? Would they have |
| of such games. And unless you're going to shut | | | | attempted to resolve their differences calmly if |
| down the BBC, hide all the newspapers and throw | | | | person A had not played Video Game C? There |
| out your television you've got no chance in | | | | honestly doesn't appear to be any proof that |
| removing violent and disturbing images from a | | | | video games had any influence at all, other than |
| child's upbringing! | | | | the individual or parents using it as an excuse. |
| Maybe we should look into the root of violence. | | | | There have been studies of course, but they |
| Again, like any good researcher on the project I | | | | appear largely non-conclusive. |
| typed in "causes of violence" into Wikipedia. From | | | | I say that you cannot blame violent behaviour on |
| that I found an interesting section about a US | | | | video games alone. It's obvious that they could |
| organisation called the "US National Commission on | | | | contribute to some degree in some cases. But |
| the Causes and Prevention of Violence". On there | | | | then so can TV, newspapers, even books. |
| was a very interesting quotation they made in | | | | However the vigour with which some individuals |
| 1969 (40 years ago!) which went like this: | | | | blame video games is obviously unwarranted. |
| "Children are inclined to learn from television | | | | Violent behaviour, having been with us for so long, |
| because it is never too busy to talk to them, and | | | | is a product of all influences and environment. |
| it never has to brush them aside while it does | | | | There is no single answer. |