Violent Video Games Blamed for Knife Attack in Scotland

[castlezelda]

Gears of War 3
14-year old viciously assaulted after "an argument about Xbox games"
Violent video games are getting more bad rep this week, after a senior Scottish Police officer blamed them for a recent knife attack in Clydebank. The perpetrator — who is only 13 years old and apparently already a father — is reported to have slashed the throat of a 14-year old friend over "an argument about Xbox games". The two friends met one another through Gears of War 3's online multiplayer. Despite suffering extensive injuries, the victim survived the attack.
Commenting on the incident, Scottish Police Federation chairman Brian Docherty stated:
These games are rated 18 and shouldn’t be played by children of this young age...but online gaming may be outside their parents’ knowledge. We need to look again at what we can do to stop this.
The above statement is fair comment, however, Prosecutor Andrew Brown QC also added that:
The reporting officer was of the opinion that the violent video games played online by the accused may have been a factor in his conduct.
In response to the attack, a Microsoft spokesperson said:
We have some of the most robust parental control systems to empower parents to decide how their children play and communicate. We have the greatest sympathy for the victim and his family.
Tragic events such as this perhaps serve as a good reminder as to why Nintendo has been relatively cautious with its own online services — also including substantial parental control options, while Miiverse is heavily moderated. Nevertheless, this seems to be an isolated and exceptional case, and we don't know what other factors were at play here. The debate has raged for years over whether violent video games can cause violent tendencies in people, but it is important to note that there has not yet been any conclusive evidence to suggest that this is definitely the case.
Do you think online gaming-based services should be stricter in how they allow people to communicate with one another? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
be stricter in how they allow people to communicate with one another? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

[via mcvuk.com]

 

[WiiAssasin]

They need tighter knife control laws.

 

[Splash_King]

Scottish Police Federation chairman Brian Docherty stated:
These games are rated 18 and shouldn’t be played by children of this young age...but online gaming may be outside their parents’ knowledge. We need to look again at what we can do to stop this.

Good parenting.

Clearly an impossible solution in this case.

 

[Yoshi25]

i will just like to put my views on this its getting sad that people are using game actions and using them in real life so sad but you just have to look at the 2 worse cases ov game violence in real the columbine high school mass which 2 teenagers loved cod and gta followed there actions in real life and the school nursery where the man was a cod fanboy and murdered all them school children people need to grow up in life and stop thinking there in the game

 

[Splash_King]

It ain't really possible t' grow up outta mental sickness. Sane children who play violent vidya gaems don't do this kind'a madness.

 

[Yoshi25]

no thats very true people are just so sad to do actions like that