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Parenting

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Original poster

Grand Theft Auto!!!

16 replies

trottingon · 28/10/2013 14:29

Are we the only parents who refuse to allow our Yr 9 DS to buy Grand Theft Auto? I have read about, reviewed it and it just appears pretty damn awful!! There is rape and torture in it as well as violence and swearing. It is rated as an 18 game and understandably so. Why are parents allowing their children access to this?

I know DS is playing this at friends' houses which is difficult to control. The arguments and strops this is causing is way out of proportion! I just don't understand how these games create such a hold! I really feel the pressure and I am starting to believe that we are the only parents who disallow this game. What are your opinions?

OP posts:

Newlywed2013 · 29/10/2013 03:21

well done you for not buying it!
It is a vile game, and hearing stories of how many young children play it is competely disgusting! You hear so many stories of people (young children/adults etc) that see it as real life and then go on to commit crimes!!

When he is able to go into a shop and buy it himself then he is old enough to play it!!

Dont let him have it!! :)

louisea · 29/10/2013 21:09

Mine periodically ask knowing full well that the answer will be "no". Can't control what they do at other people's houses but I refuse to buy it. We also don't have an xBox. They already spend enough time online with their laptops. They've previously had PSPs and a Wii and I will not spend any more money on gadgets for them.

HarrietSchulenberg · 29/10/2013 21:22

My eldest is Y8 and there's no way I'd let him buy or play it. I know of lots of similar aged boys (aged 13-16) who claim to own it, but I'm not entirely sure that they do. In fact I'm pretty sure that 60% of them don't have it but it's the must-have game to name drop with so they pretend.

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lisylisylou · 29/10/2013 22:33

I found my son watching gta5 on youtube. Made my son show me gta 5 on YouTube and what he'd watched. Couldn't believe he was watching a man jump off a 20 storey building, I was thinking there'll be a parachute but there wasn't. The man hit the ground and his insides burst out over the floor! My ds was laughing until I told him about 11th September and how awful that was then he stopped. There was also a man stood on a train line and knocked over by a train but it kept repeating it. It makes me feel sick to think I have to protect my son over idiotic games like this! My mum was horrified when I told her about it and said she never had to deal with things like this!

LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops · 29/10/2013 22:39

It's dreadful, my DS is only 7 so it's not an issue yet; but I would stick to the 18 rating - and even then discuss it's content. I've never seen or played it, but know it's horrific. The problem is that it desensitises the players, so the line between fantasy and reality is blurred.

Rhianna1980 · 29/10/2013 22:46

It's an 18 rated game . You simply don't buy it buy for your child.

And for the above poster whose son watched a clip of GTA on YouTube, one can equally watch brutal things on the Internet anywhere on the internet. You can google anything and watch not just GTA. It is up to you to protect your child from the dark side of the Internet. There are beheading videos on Facebook these days . That's more shocking to be honest than what GTA contains IMHO ...

saintmerryweather · 29/10/2013 23:05

theres no rape in gta v. not everything has to be sanitised or suitable for children or people with a delicate disposition.

badgersoup · 06/11/2013 13:48

LittleSiouxieSue · 06/11/2013 17:43

Lots of people don't buy it for their children but the boys (generally) find out whose dads have got it and go round to their house. If no-one bought the games or let their children have gaming toys or computers there would not be a problem but the cat is out if the bag, so to speak, and children are addicted to it. I know children who are glued to u tube and the parents think it is ok. The computer is in a separate room, what is being watched is not monitored and therefore you have children watching unacceptable stuff. The games create a hold because lots of parents do not regulate use of the computer and they are used as a babysitter to keep children quiet. On Mumsnet recently there was a discussion as to which iPad style tablet to buy a 6 year old. It was educational apparently. It is not. It will just be used for more games before the child can read. Is it any wonder children have language delay, have tantrums when asked to leave the computer, won't concentrate on anything because all they want is to go back to a game and, actually, are not particularly happy as a result.
Adults can have adult rated games but loads of parents take no notice of age recommendations at all. I have come to the conclusion there are a lot of very stupid parents so it is good to hear some who are sensible and wise.

Nataleejah · 07/11/2013 16:38

The thing is if you don't buy a game, then friends have it, because friends have older siblings and cousins who happily buy those things.

shinysammy09 · 09/11/2013 22:52

*game!

jess400 · 26/11/2013 00:09

I fully agree. Gta v(and all the others) contains senseless, mindless violence, guns, rape etc. Its horrible. But have any of you ever given a thought about protecting your children from Mario? Probably not. If i told you that he is cruel to animals(including babies) remorselessly slaughters civilians because they are in his way, has several different girlfriends at the same time(and doesn't appear to have genuine feelings for any of them) abuses his brother and abuses and then MURDERS people who have raised him and saved his life, and on top of that, he kill thousands of innocents he is supposed to be trying to save. he fits the diagnosis for a sociopath and aspd, and his only motive appears to be sexual gratification. But this is allowed and ignored because it has cheerful music, colourful visuals and smiling characters. Gta v can actually be less violent, as no one forces you to kill and you can just drive around the city, obeying traffic laws. Extreme example, but true none the less. Also the sad truth is that unless your kids have no internet access, no. Console access and no computer use then they will be able to play/watch it.

jess400 · 26/11/2013 00:13

Sadly, 60% probably do. When the child of a friend started talking about it i checked out their u tube accounts and they all had vids of it that they had posted. Its a small private school so maybe that's unusual but i wouldn't be surprised if most children who say they have it have it

sallymoor · 27/11/2013 12:24

I have a 13 year old and 11 year old boy who are constantly asking for these type of games for their x-box. There is absolutely no way I am going to buy them or have them in my house. I realise they may beable to play them at their friends and I have no control over this but I think what is important is that I feel I have stuck to my moral values. Violence against others is not okay and when senseless violence is glorified I cannot condone it. I have explained this and talked to them about the realities of war and the devasting consequences it can have. I do really understand the pressures on them from school but I was always taught that you should follow what you believe to be right and don't go along with things just because everyone else is doing it. I really feel this is the bigger lesson and that sometimes it is okay to be different and stand up for what you believe in. My parents certainly never gave in to things just because other people were doing it - this did make things difficult sometimes at school - but I now really respect them for it.

FabMumDebs · 23/04/2014 23:03

I let my eldest son play these games since grand theft 3 and he has turned out just fine. You will never be able to stop him playing grand theft auto so just accept it and let him get the game.

You do hear stories about these games that people go out and commit crimes IRL but it's all rubbish and they were mental anyway.

ironicman · 24/04/2014 20:12

Grand Theft Auto-Help!!!!

Is there anything I can do about this? Our girls mother and myself are split up. Mum remarried to my ex boss and ex best friend. I am main carer for our eldest who has complained about the fact that GTA is being played by his 7 year old son when he comes down from his bed at 6 or 7 am when he stays there. My eldest is 15 about to turn 16 and my youngest is 11 about to be 12. Apparently my kids don't really play it but it is set up in the dining room which has to be passed through to get out the door or through to the kitchen. I don't really want them watching or hearing the game nor the language. I approached my ex who has said she doesn't really like it either but what can she do? It's his farmhouse! Her view is that as long as they aren't playing the bad bits or repeating the language it's ok. Am I the bad guy here?

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