Year 5 (9 and 10 year olds) and Call of Duty

[ksld]

DS is very keen to play Call of Duty or a similar game who's name I forget as 'everyone' at school plays them. He has been bullied a lot at school for being babyish and this is the latest 'target'.

I had assumed it was one or two kids with older teenage brothers who were playing this type of game as they are 18 rated. However I went to a school event with DS and discovered it really isn't 1 or 2, of the 12 children there 10 of them definitely played this game. (1 I am not sure as was v quiet, and DS doesn't.)

I have been trying to work out ways for DS to fit in more at school to make his life easier, but I am not going to relent on this as I do not think these games are suitable for him. But I understand how difficult it is for him trying to fit in instead of being picked on, and now this game has become the main topic of conversation (presumably lots of them got it/a console for Christmas hence the obsession now) and he can't join in.

I have had a look at the website for the people who classify games, but wonder if anyone can point me to any articles about the effects of playing these games on small developing brains so I can show DS to show him why I feel as I do?

Also can you tell me are we really in the minority everywhere with not letting DS play these, or is it just our school? And if your similar age children do play these sort of games - could you tell me why you think they are ok? (Genuine question not being snarky!)

In my experience it's more the 15 and 16 rate games that begin to creep in to friends houses in years 5 and 6. Some play 18s but the peer pressure is for the others.
Never had a problem with other mothers when I've explained ds can't play them: the problem has been me not realising that he was / would be and finding out afterwards. So now I mention it in advance.

There are lots of things I wouldn't allow my kids to do even though other kids can do them. It has never worried me and I don't think it's bothered my kids either. My DCs are Uni age and there hasn't been a backlash from any of them.

Things I wouldn't allow;
Over age movies (bar a year or so)
Over age games (bar a year or two)
ANY first person shooters until 15/16 ish (except Banjo Kazooie )

Any swearing
Not saying please and thankyou
Smuttiness
No porn ever
No GTA allowed in the house ever.
Unlimited - time and content - access to the internet (I have always had time and content controls similar to BT parental controls I dropped this when they were about 17'ish although porn etc is still blocked.
Facebook under 14/15

This list was a bit flexible but if my kids had come home saying I was unreasonable because 'all the other kids parents let them do X,Y or Z' it wouldn't have altered my decision.

I play computer games myself so I have an understanding of just how unsuitable some games are. It's lazy and bad parenting to let young kids play games that are rated much older. The games are designed to be an intense and addictive experience and whilst there is no doubt they can be great fun, they are 'too much' for younger players both with regards to content AND game play.

My 9 year old son came home from school last night with scratches down his face and small bruises on his back etc. Apparently the whole year 4/5/6 are playing CoD in the playground. Their running around screaming and shouting and pretending to kill one another, using fists and pointed fingers to define guns, knives etc. My son did not want to play but was left on his own so joined in.
Now my son has no access to these games, I refuse to even have an Xbox, therefore he has no idea what the children (fairly sure 7,8,9,10 are still children) are doing. He's blatantly upset by what's happened and as he practices Karate he feels uncomfortable defending himself as he knows his defence is trained and not allowed in school. I want to go into school, inform teachers and get it cut dead but son is convinced he'll be hated.

Op, I can't quite any research but I can tell you that I with with chikdren with behaviour issues and very often they are allowed to play these type of games and the parents are surprised when I suggest that's the cause of some of their behaviour!!
They then refuse to stop them playing on the games.
One child was repeating weird for word what he'd heard on GTA

Sorry for typos. I work with chikdren

I'm not going to lie, you're in the minority.