Venezuela Bans Violent Video Games

chevalier · Sat, 7th Nov '09, 10:14am

Venezuela is banning violent video games with a three year prison term attached. Toy guns will also be banned. This is part of an effort to reduce agressive tendencies in the country's youth and curb down crime. Here's a snip:

The plan, apparently, is to cut back on activities that might encourage the development of "aggressive" tendencies in Venezuelan children and youth, which will in turn help bring down the country's out of control violent crime rate. The government in Venezuela no longer releases regular murder statistics but opponents of President Hugo Chavez claim that over 100,000 people have been murdered since February 1999.

The government disputes that figure, of course, but I don't think anyone will argue that the situation isn't bad and getting worse. Will a ban on violent videogames make any difference at all? I wouldn't hold my breath.

Read the rest at The Escapist.

*Montresor* · Sat, 7th Nov '09, 1:07pm

Hmmmm.... Like the article says,

Quote:

Will a ban on violent videogames make any difference at all? I wouldn't hold my breath.

Looks more like a government looking for a scapegoat and trying to buy time. "Now, we've only just banned violent games - we'll have to wait and see if that has any effect!"

Violent video games and toy guns are readily available just about everywhere in the world. Strange that they should only have caused vast amounts of violent crime in Venezuela, and not in all countries.

NOG (No Other Gods) · Sat, 7th Nov '09, 3:26pm

Don't you know, Montresor? They're also to blame for all violence in the US, UK, France, Japan, and Germany! Maybe others, too! And WWII, WWI, the Spanish-American War, the War of 1812, the Hundred Years War, Crusades, Alexander the Great, the Peloponnesian War, the Assyrian Wars, and quite possibly the original inception of us violent, crazy humans to begin with.

Seriously, though, this may serve some good. We may finally have a real case study to point to and say, "See, here's what happens when you do this."

chevalier · Sat, 7th Nov '09, 5:23pm

Actually, NOG, that starts from a false premise. Obviously, games weren't around during those times, but there was violent entertainment in other forms, way more drastic anyway. Living in a culture glorifying violence results in violence being the primary method of dispute resolution. Undermining one form of violent entertainment should probably diminish the total sum of violent tendencies somewhat. To be successful, it should probably entail more complex efforts, otherwise, like prohibition in the US, it's likely to create a criminal market for the outlawed product.

NOG (No Other Gods) · Sun, 8th Nov '09, 3:18pm

Chev, the point is that the anti-video-game crowd todays seems willing to blame violent video-games for anything, provided anyone anywhere thinks it's bad.

henkie · Mon, 9th Nov '09, 5:41pm

Chev certainly has a point here, though I don't think video games really have much of an influence here. I think that the situation at home and the friends you have at school play a much bigger role here. The fact that this is suggested as a measure against violence in a country like Venezuela is hard to take serious.

Even more so when I read today that the Venezuelan president called for the country to prepare for war, apparently because Columbia has allowed the US to build several military bases on their ground to allow them to fight drug cartels. It would seem that not only the youths in that country seem to think that the (threat of) violence is a good way to resolve a conflict.

Sat, 7th Nov '09, 10:14am	#1
chevalier SPS Account Holder Senior News Editor Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: I wish I were in the land of coffee... Age: 26 Posts: 16,519 Rep Power: 25	Venezuela Bans Violent Video Games Venezuela is banning violent video games with a three year prison term attached. Toy guns will also be banned. This is part of an effort to reduce agressive tendencies in the country's youth and curb down crime. Here's a snip: The plan, apparently, is to cut back on activities that might encourage the development of "aggressive" tendencies in Venezuelan children and youth, which will in turn help bring down the country's out of control violent crime rate. The government in Venezuela no longer releases regular murder statistics but opponents of President Hugo Chavez claim that over 100,000 people have been murdered since February 1999. The government disputes that figure, of course, but I don't think anyone will argue that the situation isn't bad and getting worse. Will a ban on violent videogames make any difference at all? I wouldn't hold my breath. Read the rest at The Escapist.

Sat, 7th Nov '09, 3:26pm	#3
NOG (No Other Gods) Gems: 29/31 Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Virginia Beach Age: 25 Posts: 3,138 Rep Power: 16	Don't you know, Montresor? They're also to blame for all violence in the US, UK, France, Japan, and Germany! Maybe others, too! And WWII, WWI, the Spanish-American War, the War of 1812, the Hundred Years War, Crusades, Alexander the Great, the Peloponnesian War, the Assyrian Wars, and quite possibly the original inception of us violent, crazy humans to begin with. Seriously, though, this may serve some good. We may finally have a real case study to point to and say, "See, here's what happens when you do this."
	__________________ "He is a fool who would trade happiness for freedom, or freedom for peace."

Sun, 8th Nov '09, 3:18pm	#5
NOG (No Other Gods) Gems: 29/31 Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Virginia Beach Age: 25 Posts: 3,138 Rep Power: 16	Chev, the point is that the anti-video-game crowd todays seems willing to blame violent video-games for anything, provided anyone anywhere thinks it's bad.
	__________________ "He is a fool who would trade happiness for freedom, or freedom for peace."

Sat, 7th Nov '09, 5:23pm	#4
chevalier SPS Account Holder Senior News Editor Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: I wish I were in the land of coffee... Age: 26 Posts: 16,519 Rep Power: 25	Actually, NOG, that starts from a false premise. Obviously, games weren't around during those times, but there was violent entertainment in other forms, way more drastic anyway. Living in a culture glorifying violence results in violence being the primary method of dispute resolution. Undermining one form of violent entertainment should probably diminish the total sum of violent tendencies somewhat. To be successful, it should probably entail more complex efforts, otherwise, like prohibition in the US, it's likely to create a criminal market for the outlawed product.

Mon, 9th Nov '09, 5:41pm	#6
henkie Gems: 11/31 Latest gem: Bloodstone Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 438 Rep Power: 4	Chev certainly has a point here, though I don't think video games really have much of an influence here. I think that the situation at home and the friends you have at school play a much bigger role here. The fact that this is suggested as a measure against violence in a country like Venezuela is hard to take serious. Even more so when I read today that the Venezuelan president called for the country to prepare for war, apparently because Columbia has allowed the US to build several military bases on their ground to allow them to fight drug cartels. It would seem that not only the youths in that country seem to think that the (threat of) violence is a good way to resolve a conflict.