A teachers group is planning to report parents who let their children play 18-rated video games to police for neglect.
The measure being taken by the UK’s Nantwich Education Partnership, which consists of 14 primary schools and 2 secondary schools, will see headteachers informing authorities and social services if it is believed that parents are allowing their children to play mature video games such as Grand Theft Auto V or Call of Duty.
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A letter sent to parents by schools in the region reads: “If your child is allowed to have inappropriate access to any game or associated product that is designated 18+, we are advised to contact the police and children’s social care as this is deemed neglectful.”
While young children playing 18-rated video games is certainly an issue, is it one that needs to be policed by schools and reported to authorities as neglect? It certainly seems like that would be a disproportionate reaction, and while it is true that some parents overlook their responsibilities in regards to what media their child consumes, many will rightly argue that it isn’t a teacher’s job to monitor what films kids are watching, music they’re listening to and games they’re playing when they step out of those school gates.
Another issue with this new measure is how teachers will successfully deduce that children are playing mature video games in the first place. Aside from monitoring playground chatter (which frequently consists of barefaced lies – we all remember that kid who swore blind that there was a code to make Lara Croft naked in Tomb Raider), how do they expect to gather enough evidence to suggest that a child is definitely playing a video game out of their age range, and that it is absolutely an issue that should be reported to authorities?
In all likelihood, this is probably just a way of scaring parents into taking action and forcing them to ensure that their children are playing games that are suitable to be experienced by their impressionable young minds. While I was playing 18-rated games before reaching that age and therefore me suggesting that no other child should ever do so would be particularly hypocritical, I do believe that parents should make an effort to engage with their children’s hobbies, and sending 12-year-old li’l Timmy upstairs to play GTAV with no supervision is certainly an example of bad parenting.
For parents who are wondering about whether or not you should buy that violent game for your son/daughter, AskAboutGames.com offers some useful advice on the matter when it comes to the latest big releases.
