not to let DS1 (11) play Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty

[Preciousdaisybear]

Argh. I am getting so much grief from DS1 about this. Apparently ALL his friends and classmates play these games and have started to make fun/tease him that he isn't allowed to. Having seen the content of this games, the violence and the language there is no way I think anyone under the age of 16 should have access and I can't believe that parents of children much younger than mine let their kids play. I want to protect him from being exposed to things he is too young to deal with - but at the same time don't want to alienate him from his peers. He is too well behaved and honest to sneak off to a chum's house and play it anyway. Any advice would be much welcomed.

GTA is a prolonged rape scene.

I never shy away from the fact that GTA is a very violent and adult game which but this description doesn't match any GTA game I've played.

Bandura's experiment was highly flawed though. I did a media effects module in my first year of a Criminology degree. The st Helena project is interesting though, longitudinal study concluded that the introduction of television had no effect on children's behaviour. However, I still wouldn't let a child of that age play GTA, same as I wouldn't let them watch an 18 movie. They are rated due to very adult themes, 11yo is not an adult.

YANBU
It really annoys me that my children are made to feel they are missing out because other parents can't say no to their kids, despite the fact that these games are so inappropriate.
I don't understand the need for kids to be exposed to these kind of things. It made me sad the other day when my 8 yr old said his friend told him playmobil was babyish. This is a 9 yr old who plays on COD. So wrong.