To be amazed at average parental stance on 18 video games?

[superstarheartbreaker]

I was on a thread about Call of Duty whereby a 12 year old wanted it. The parent didn't want to get it as it is an 18.
The parent was told that they should get it as everyone is playing it and video games don't cause violence. Aibu to believe that this is not the flipping point?
I think the point it that it normalises violence. Also it encourages teens to so end hours gaming rather than doing genuinely active sports. Also it is an 18 therefore 12 year olds are too young.
The pressure exists from kids only because other patents allow this. Get firm people!

Good point BreakingDad. Just because something is in a form generally considered to be for children, doesn't mean it is. Equally, I read Walking Dead comic, but hey, that's just a comic so it must be fine for kids.

Well ds's school do not approve of it and ban it at the school yes. My friend teaches at a school that has banded Google because someone once Google image searched 'Prince Albert'...........
So that isn't 'schools not approving of YouTube then is it'? My cat is black, but it doesn't me all cats are black.
Boolean logic anyone?

Well over the years my ds has been in fights with other children and it has come to light that various things online aren't good for him as they have mentioned it which is why I got more strict.

I think mine is particularly easily led so it is worth being careful and at the same time I hear often from ds that his friends watch porn online (I don't mean most but certainly some) and by the words they use here and there I don't doubt it for one moment.

I do, UpTheHammers.

I have parental controls on the pc and I check regularly to make sure that everything is as it should be. Many sites are totally blocked. I have swear filters and strict settings on the content filters. Their consoles are not connected to the internet. Their tvs in the room only play games (see consoles NOT connected to the net) and DVDS (approved by me).

Even WITH all that, they see and hear things that I think are inappropriate for their age and level of understanding, but I have no control over the child who brings their porn filled phone to school because their parents haven't made sure they can't access it. But I do everything I can and that's all anyone can do. There have been times I've become aware that something has slipped through, and I've corrected it.

I'm not stupid. I know you can't do a 100% lockdown, but do as much as you can, combined with talking to them and instilling the values that are important to you and you can safely say you have done your best.

There is software like teamviewer which is free which can be installed to a pc and you can remotely log in at any time from another pc (or even phone i think), to see whats on their screen.

VitalStatistix
It is frustrating when you take precautions to parent your own kids but because other parents can't be bothered your kids are potentially going to be exposed to inappropriate material. I had a two pronged approach where I tried to install in my kids that they were responsible for what they watched games or movie wise alongside using parental controls etc.

We had lots of discussions before they went to friends houses and I very much put it on them to be sensible. I think it worked more or less. My adult DC are huge gamers but still very anti GTA etc and are appalled that my young nieces have unrestricted access to adult games and the Internet. I guess the indoctrination worked.

You're the parent. Lay down the rules. Never mind popularity at school or other kids doing whatever, that's the same way they get to smoking. You just say no to games with any unsuitable content and that's the end of it. Does anyone remember the fuss 20 years ago over Mortal Kombat? Seems like that game would be horrified at what's going on now.

The thing is that a lot of children have older siblings or cousins who have these games. Its physically not very possible to shield a 12yo from a game/dvd owned by his older sibling.

Myself i guess i'm one of those parents... But we only have a Nintendo Wii and PC -- so no GTA, just older versions of CoD.

You'd be amazed how many children aged 8 & 9 play these games. The children I've worked with that have the most extreme behaviour issues play these games. I'm sure there are examples of children who play them and are fine, but there are many examples of children who play and are not. I won't be willing to take the risk with ds.

I once taught a child with 'mid-range' behaviour problems.
He played GTA in bed every night before going to sleep. This was about 7 years ago when it wasn't as bad, but still not good.
He was 8 years old.

Eehbahgum I agree. The evidence isn't there doesn't mean there isn't a link. I suspect there is. I'd love to be proved wrong, if there are lots of studies out there that have failed to show a link that would be good news.

Piping, do you know what his life is like now, at 15

No idea. I left that school.

I study psychology at university and I have seen and read the very disturbing researchwhich shows the damage that allowing children to play games and watch programmes/films that are too old for them causes. They are more likely to mimic the behaviour and it desensitise them to violence and disturbing images. I will never allow my children to play or watch things that are too old for them bothat home and at others houses and I don't care what sort of parent I get called.

I do think if I had to choose I'd rather they watched a gory film. At least there is that slight removal, viewer rather than participant. Luckily I'm still at the stage where the answer is neither. I debated whether to let 8yo ds watch teenage mutant ninja turtles at the cinema!

Films are just as bad. A study showed that when tv was introduced to an isolated town for the first time incidents of violence increased dramatically. We don't realise the damage these things cause because it's not physical it's mental.

You must work in game stop, any where else is a great experience

Why are their consoles offline? That must suck. Its important to let your kid experience things ie they'll grow up not knowing how to handle anything, and end up living with you for the rest of your life.

That's the child and not the games, it's probably their patents fault for not raising them properly.