Parents Will Be Reported by Head Teachers If Their Children Play GTA or COD
Bohs Hansen / 10 years ago
British parents are now in danger of being reported to the police and social services if they let their children play videos games not suited for their age, specifically mentioned, were games like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto.
A letter sent by a group of schools in Cheshire raised concerns about the “levels of violence and sexual content” young people are being exposed to by playing games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto which have a PEGI 18 classification. If teachers are made aware of children playing these games then they will contact police and social services.
The fear is that the games violent content could lead to children being left more vulnerable to grooming and abuse. The letter goes further than video games and also recommends that children don’t use Facebook or Whatsapp, but rather other social platforms geared for their generation and not adults.
The letter is clearly a result of the pressure put on teachers and social workers by David Camerons announcement that they could face up to five years in prison if they don’t speak out about suspicions of children that are being neglected or abused. Headteacher Mary Hennessy Jones, who helped draft the letter, told the Sunday Times: “We are trying to help parents to keep their children as safe as possible in this digital era.”
The message from Nantwich Education Partnership has however been criticised by parents as going too far by threatening parents rather than helping them. Margaret Morrissey, of Parents Outloud, told the newspaper: “Accepting the huge concerns about these violent games and their effect on children, I think the schools are stepping outside the realm of what is probably acceptable.”
Thanks to DailyMail for providing us with this information