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Child would like unsuitable game for christmas HELP!
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kafkathecat wrote: »Studies have been done and have found little to no link. If someone can show me a study that says different and not some inaccurate newspaper report I would be genuinely interested.
How long have we had these ultra violent, ultra realistic games?
How long will the effects take to show up?
We don't know.
That's my material point.
We don't know.Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. Einstein0 -
cheepskate wrote: »If you dont do as i say, then im going to brand you as an abuser and bad parent. You sound a lovely person.
Agree with kafkathecat I am bowing out of this thread for the same reason.
Ok then.Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. Einstein0 -
PinkLipgloss wrote: »Just to pick up on this point - as a teacher I am LEGALLY REQUIRED to inform the Head Teacher when my children make references to playing these games.
The Head Teacher is then LEGALLY REQUIRED to report it to the authorities.
If you had, as I have, witnessed the effects of these games on young children then I believe you would see it as a form of child abuse allowing them to play them.
EDIT (addition) Social Services took these reports very seriously and acted on them.
Do you stop the children playing war games in the playground? Do you report that they saw a particularly violent episode of East Enders, Coronation Street-because I personally have serious issues with the increasingly adult themes shown before the watershed, which are more "true to life" than some animated game.
Once again, I DO NOT agree that an 8yo should play an 18 rated game but I think we need to look at the bigger picture here. Social services are overstretched and failing to protect the children who are at risk of SERIOUS harm-numerous telephone calls from schools reporting alleged inappropriate gameplay(how do you know the kids aren't just lying to try and look good in front of their friends) just make it more difficult to extricate the real issues surrounding neglect and child abuse. I'm bowing out of this one for the same reasons as other posters.Nuts oh Hazelnuts:rotfl:0 -
To my mind this is not even a thorny issue, I see this as a pretty clear cut situation.
On the one hand we have the government. the law and professional people concerned with child welfare who believe that children need to be protected from violent 18 certificate games.
On the other hand we have people saying that there is no point in preventing your eight year old from playing violent games for several hours every day in his own home because he might, occasionally, play it at someone else's?
Do parents today really have so little control over an eight year old still in primary school that they feel the need to abdicate responsibility so completely at such a young age? Surely at eight a parent knows where the child is, who he is with and what he is doing? The thought of it wearies me.0 -
kafkathecat wrote: »This debate has got increasingly hysterical so I think this will be my last post.
Some inadequate parents will use these games to keep their children quiet and keep them out of the way. The poor parenting is more likely to be a problem than the game.
Studies have been done and have found little to no link. If someone can show me a study that says different and not some inaccurate newspaper report I would be genuinely interested.
All crime including violent crime has been falling (stats to hand show recorded violent crime fell 5% from 08/09 to 09/10) it is just that the media focus on it so much more. Contrast the cases of Mary Bell and Venables and Bulger.
Everyone will believe what they want to believe though so carry on.
You can ban them in your homes all you like, computer games, graphic dvd's but they WILL be playing them round their friends houses, so imo although I wouldnt buy this stuff for an 8 year old, I would discuss with my kids that they are out there, rather than just saying NO- no discussion - rather than getting in a mad panicThe opposite of what you know...is also true0 -
nutsohazelnuts wrote: »To my mind this is not even a thorny issue, I see this as a pretty clear cut situation.
On the one hand we have the government. the law and professional people concerned with child welfare who believe that children need to be protected from violent 18 certificate games.
On the other hand we have people saying that there is no point in preventing your eight year old from playing violent games for several hours every day in his own home because he might, occasionally, play it at someone else's?
Do parents today really have so little control over an eight year old still in primary school that they feel the need to abdicate responsibility so completely at such a young age? Surely at eight a parent knows where the child is, who he is with and what he is doing? The thought of it wearies me.
Massive difference here. Playing a video game for hours every evening is massively different to occasional play at a friends house. Yes an 8 year olds parents should of course know where they are at all times, but unless you plan to accompany them on sleep overs etc and stay in the bedroom with the children, then you are not going to know what they are really getting up to.The opposite of what you know...is also true0 -
Massive difference here. Playing a video game for hours every evening is massively different to occasional play at a friends house.
I think that was rather my point.Yes an 8 year olds parents should of course know where they are at all times, but unless you plan to accompany them on sleep overs etc and stay in the bedroom with the children, then you are not going to know what they are really getting up to.
We hosted a sleepover here for one of our grandchildren. Every parent had instructions about retainers, and food intolerances and making sure they urinated immediately before sleep etc etc.
Couldn't a concerned parent issue the same instructions regarding 18 certificate material?
We didn't have this issue in my day but I'd like to think that I would have cheerfully knocked the block off of anybody who destroyed my child's innocence at the age of eight.0 -
Do you stop the children playing war games in the playground? Do you report that they saw a particularly violent episode of East Enders, Coronation Street-because I personally have serious issues with the increasingly adult themes shown before the watershed, which are more "true to life" than some animated game.
Once again, I DO NOT agree that an 8yo should play an 18 rated game but I think we need to look at the bigger picture here. Social services are overstretched and failing to protect the children who are at risk of SERIOUS harm-numerous telephone calls from schools reporting alleged inappropriate gameplay(how do you know the kids aren't just lying to try and look good in front of their friends) just make it more difficult to extricate the real issues surrounding neglect and child abuse. I'm bowing out of this one for the same reasons as other posters.
Yes - children are in fact stopped playing violent games in the playground as a matter of course (play is supervised by classroom assistants).
I think you clearly have a misconceptions about the professionalism of teachers. Do you really think we'd go to the trouble of reporting issues to Head Teachers (who then in turn inform Social Work) "on a whim" for example when "kids...(are) just lying to try and look good in front of their friends" I know all of my pupils inside out - I know when they are lying or not. If they mention playing such a game the issue is not left there - I investigate their claims and can then decide if they are genuine or not.
If you are of the opinion that Social Services are overstretched and should not be informed of these issues then your opinion differs from that of Child Protection professionals whom deem it an issue worth reporting and investigating. You can not lay the blame on teachers - who have to take child protection issues EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY and follow the guidelines to the letter - which does involve reporting those incidents."Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" (Douglas Adams)0 -
PinkLipgloss wrote: »Yes - children are in fact stopped playing violent games in the playground as a matter of course (play is supervised by classroom assistants).
I think you clearly have a misconceptions about the professionalism of teachers. Do you really think we'd go to the trouble of reporting issues to Head Teachers (who then in turn inform Social Work) "on a whim" for example when "kids...(are) just lying to try and look good in front of their friends" I know all of my pupils inside out - I know when they are lying or not. If they mention playing such a game the issue is not left there - I investigate their claims and can then decide if they are genuine or not.
If you are of the opinion that Social Services are overstretched and should not be informed of these issues then your opinion differs from that of Child Protection professionals whom deem it an issue worth reporting and investigating. You can not lay the blame on teachers - who have to take child protection issues EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY and follow the guidelines to the letter - which does involve reporting those incidents.
Really?
How do you know?Tank fly boss walk jam nitty gritty...0 -
The very fact that you have to ask tells me all I need to know.
Goodnight!"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" (Douglas Adams)0
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