WASHINGTON, D.C. - Any who would sell or rent M- and AO-rated video games to minors have a new enemy in Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY).Clinton announced yesterday her intention to introduce new legislation aimed at protecting the nation's children against violent and pornographic video games by imposing fines on any retailer selling or renting such games to children under 18.
"The bottom line is that video games with truly pornographic and violent content is being marketed to our children," Clinton said. "As parents and advocates for children, we have to draw the line."The Entertainment Software Ratings Board voluntarily began rating video games as a guide to parents looking to keep violent and graphic material out of their children's hands. The problem lies in that the ratings (E for everyone, M for mature and AO for Adult Only) are seldom enforced, and have now begun to inadequately label the games, as was found in the popular game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."The game, rated M, allegedly contains illicit pornographic scenes that can be unlocked with a code downloaded from the Internet.
While statements from the game's manufacturer have been scarce, they claim someone must have "altered" the game to make such scenes available. However, the discoverer of the pornographic content, a young man from the Netherlands, claims he simply found the key to unlock the scenes on the Internet. Clinton is calling upon the Federal Trade Commission to look into the allegations and determine the source of the pornographic content. She is also urging the FTC to determine whether an Adults Only rating is more appropriate than the current Mature rating for the game, given the recent discovery.If the material is imbedded in the game and available by a few simple steps, Clinton said she will call for a nationwide recall of the game so that all who bought it believing the M rating can be reimbursed.
"The disturbing material in Grand Theft Auto and other games like it is stealing the innocence of our children and it's making the difficult job of being a parent even harder," Clinton said. "I am announcing these measures today because I believe that the ability of our children to access pornographic and outrageously violent material on video games rated for adults is spiraling out of control."Research has, for years, confirmed a link between exposure to violent video games and aggressive behavior in children.
A new study by researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine show that playing violent video games triggers "unusual brain activity" among aggressive adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders, said Dr. John Walsh, founder and director of the National Institute on Media and the Family."Video game technology is not bad, but powerful, and can be bad depending on how it's used," he said during a press conference Thursday morning."The statement, 'There's nothing we can do,' is not acceptable," Walsh continued. "We need to find something to do. There's not just one answer, but part of the solution is for parents to be empowered with knowledge about the issues."Walsh suggested that parents looking for information on video game ratings, guidelines and ways to get involved visit the Web site www.mediawise.org.
As studies show, retailers are apparently not enforcing the rating labels. According to research by the National Institute on Media and the Family, games rated M, meaning they are appropriate only for those aged 17 or older, are relatively easy for teenagers and even children as young as age 7 to obtain. The study revealed that 50 percent of boys between the ages of 7 and 14 successfully purchased M-rated video games. It was also found that nearly a quarter of retailers in the study do not understand the ratings they are supposed to be enforcing, and only half of the stores train employees in the use of the ratings. "No wonder these games are falling into the hands of our children and no wonder so many parents feel everyday like they are fighting this battle with their hands tied behind their backs," Clinton said. "We need to do better."
Clinton's soon-to-be-proposed legislation will call for a $5,000 maximum penalty for retailer caught selling or renting violent and pornographic video games to minors. Much like the way cigarettes and alcohol are sold, M- and AO-rated video games would be kept out of minors' reach by being placed in locked cases and behind counters, only to be retrieved with ID, she said.
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