Top tips to protect children from violence

Gametraders says that, based on recent research, video games do not cause violence in children and that, ultimately, it is the parent’s responsibility to protect their children from exposure to excessive violence.

The following are Gametraders’ four top tips for protecting children from excessive violence in video games:

1. Always maintain that the game classification is appropriate for the age of the child.
2. Utilise the parental locks on your gaming consoles. Many people don’t realise that this option exists. The locks mean that parents can control the types of games their children are playing and the duration of play.
3. Ensure that your child plays a variety of games in a variety of genres so that their entertainment is well-rounded and to avoid them getting hooked on one particular style that may not be desirable. There are so many options available, including many non-violent games, fitness/sports orientated or sedentary, so that excessive exposure to violence in games can easily be avoided without cutting out your child’s gaming enjoyment.
4. As for many things, moderation is critical. Be aware of what your child is choosing to play and for how long. Play an active role in their entertainment choices as you know what is best for them. Children tend to have a narrow view and choose based on what their peers are playing or without consideration of an option they would enjoy just as much, if not more.

Since the inception of video games, research on whether violent video games cause violence in children have been widely inconclusive and many papers purport that a violent video game on its own does not cause a child to be violent or to carry out a violent act—there are a number of other circumstances present such as an abusive childhood and/or mental health issues. In milder cases, such as common playground aggression, it is simply a part of childhood development and is present whether or not the child has been exposed to violent video games.

“In recent times, a number of studies and essays on the subject have concluded that it is not the video games causing violence or aggression in children, but it is the children themselves. A contributing factor has also been found to be a lack of supervision and control by parents over the type of game and the duration of play,” said Rob Jenkins, Gametraders’ National Marketing Manager.

“By adopting the above four tips and utilising the locks available on gaming consoles, parents can rest easy and maintain the appropriate control and protection to better support our children,” said Jenkins.