Kids Have Learned: Blame GTA Even If It's Not In The Game
from the the-press-will-eat-it-up dept
We've noticed a recent trend of kids caught performing criminal acts to blame Grand Theft Auto as their inspiration, knowing full well that officials will focus on that instead of the actual crime. It's even reached the point that kids are blaming GTA for things that aren't even in the game. Witness some kids who were caught making Molotov Cocktails and firebombing cars, claiming that they learned how to make the weapons while playing GTA IV. Of course, as the article notes, the Molotov Cocktails in GTA IV come pre-assembled -- so perhaps it's not exactly to blame. Won't stop adult outrage over the game, though. And that's probably just what the kids want, as it takes some of the responsibility off of them.
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Filed Under: blame, grand theft auto
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Fact: current statistics show that youth violence is significantly less today that it was 30 years ago before games were invented. If violence in games = violence in real life was true, that wouldn't be the case, would it?
Kids are learning how to deflect blame for their actions, while parents have yet another excuse to ignore their poor parenting skills and blame something else. Oh well, might as well wait this out until the next scapegoat comes along...
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hhmm, I wonder where they are learning it from?
while parents have yet another excuse to ignore their poor parenting skills and blame something else.
never mind, I think I know...
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Re: PaulT's facts?
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Re: Re: PaulT's facts?
http://www.gamerevolution.com/features/violence_and_videogames
Enjoy!
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I totally disagree, many parents feel that their hands are tied due to the stupid society standard "child abuse". If you discipline your child with a stern grip you are accused of abusing your child. Yet if you follow the guidelines you are accused of being a bad parent. Kids today know how to use the system to their advantage, plain and simple.
Get of you wagon of “bad parenting”, Help support parents by keeping local government & child advocates out of the family homes. Maybe then the family values can come back.
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Even if spanking wasn't allowed many experts agree that it isn't the most effective form of punishment, making someone stay in the corner, do extra chores (cleaning the bathroom is one every kid hates), loss of of privelages, and so forth are all efective alternatives to Corporal punishment.
Also experts suggest that shouldn't stick to one punishment, you should constantly change your punishment so that they don't think things like "I know if I get caught, I'll get _______, but I think it is worth the risk" children are more likely to see a known punishment as an acceptable risk than they will an unknown punishment.
I don't think you know much about parenting if you think the only way to get kids in line is now illegal
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Most parents were hit by their parents so they think that's the only way to punish kids. It's a bullshit cop-out for parents who don't want to take the time to teach their kids right from wrong.
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"Get of you wagon of “bad parenting” "
You obviously don't work in public education, and have not meet many parents whose children attend public schools! In many areas bad ignorant parents who should not be allowed to reproduce but instead have 10 kids are a HUGE part of the problem! You must be completely blind to the world to say otherwise. It would be interesting to know which demographic and what country on which planet you come from!
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And your solution to this is to be allowed to beat them? If you want a sign of a bad parent, try one who needs to beat their child to have any authority over them.
There are hundreds of ways to raise a child without resorting to violence, don't blame videogames or government when your Neanderthal mind can't conceive of them.
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Re: Ur 100%
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Darn kids
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Re: Darn kids
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Re: Darn kids
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Re: Darn kids
the A Team Rocks.
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Re: Darn kids
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I learned how to use drugs listening to music, SUE THE RIAA!
What a pathetic world we live in!
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statistics lie and you are an idiot and I am going to kill you
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while I disagree that PaulT was wrong, I have to say that your comment brightened my day considerably. =)
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I'd assume that you'd have to be 35 year old house wife with terrible parenting skills and 10 juvenile kleptomaniacs that you squeezed from your womb and ignored into their disorders in order to have a problem with Paul's well stated argument; but, your missive has all the complexity of a 12 year old gamer junkie; so, either you are a 12 year old gamer junkie who's upset that your ploy to get out of trouble has been found out (which is just silly; because, intelligent people were wise to this nonsense before you were crawling); or, apart from being a horrible mother, you are also a meth head. I believe that GTA provides an out let from violent and criminal impulses that didn't exist 30 years ago; and, I would expect it cause a drop in real world crime.
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I think everyone got that sam's comment was a joke, except you, of course. Wow. I'll bet you feel like a real party jerk right about now.
I think sam should kill you.
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Scapegoats and Backfiring Parenting
Oh wait, it's something that everyone's good at. HA!
I agree with PaulT, we gotta ride this one out, though if you ask me, video game legislation is like overparenting overdrive. It's practically goading kids to get their hands on the game, because it's SO BAD!!! OOOOOOH!
Moral of the story: Over-protective parents = failboat patrons.
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we need answers
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now they've got it on video, no reading required.
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Reality
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I tried to blame scooby-do as a kid . . .
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HISTORY LESSONS SHOULD BE BANNED!
THINK OF THE CHILDREN!
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Oops, I did it again!
Custer's Revenge made me do it!
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Damn kids
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I don't get it.
I don't think GTA taught me anything.
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Then sue the inventors of glass, fabric and flammable liquids for inspiring the use of these products for violence.
Then sue every scientist or chemist or inventor for every thinking up any idea that could ever be used for wrongdoing.
Sue God for allowing such thought to occur.
Sue mankind for needing to create God to try and explain the unexplainable.
F**k it all.
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You are allowed to hit your kid as hard as you possibly can, as long as its with an open and on their butt cheeks.
Give it a shot...they will love you for it.
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pissed...
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Welcome to America
Personally I have GTA IV and it rocks!
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Re: Welcome to America
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blameT
TONIGHT!!! The new reality television series Who To Blame. Who can create the best blame story, do the crime, no time and win the big bucks! ONLY ON FOX!
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URL
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/nr2006/index.html
"Citing FBI and other data sources, the Report demonstrates that the rate of juvenile violent crime arrests has consistently decreased since 1994, falling to a level not seen since at least the 1970s."
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The OLD DAYS!!
There are a million different reasons why a kid decides to do what was in a video game, but my guess is, there wasn't anyone around to tell them it is wrong, the automatic baby sitter said it was okay.
Regardless, this is obviously about placing blame, censorship, and mostly bad parenting. I'd press the square button, up, down, left, right key sequence on my kid if they did any of this crap.
I wish Techdirt would stop using headlines like "Kids Have Learned: Blame GTA even if it wasn't in the game" Even if butt holes are doing it, use a line like "Bad parenting allows kids to blame GTA for something bad they did".
I'd be scared to let current kids have a copy of Anarchist Cookbook. Send kids to Juve like the old days, and hold parents responsible for their kids' actions, like the old days. And while they're busy being locked up, lets play some GTA.
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Agree and Disagree
I'd be concerned if a kid didn't figure out how to make them just based on that information.
As for the fire-bombing of cars, that can be witnessed in the newer GTA games.
The whole thing is just the blame game but I had to toss that in.
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