Police Blame Youth Crime Spree On GTA

MikesMum

New member
Jun 27, 2008
1
0
0
TomNook said:
Where are their parents?
Most of us parents are pretty good about buying these games for our kids and trusting in their savvy and burgeoning maturity when playing them..... but like myself, a lot of us were taken completely by surprise by GTA.

Some kids seem vulnerable to the mental affects of GTA. Why? I don't have a clue. My 15 yo son went from average kid to smashing windows, holes in the walls, and disgusting verbal tirades after seeming to be addicted to his Christmas present a couple of years ago. We took away the game and had to pursue psychological help for him for months. Things returned to a peaceful place until about 4 months ago when he found an online version and once again became addicted and violently agressive. Took away the computer and gradually he came down again. We've just now returned his computer to him with hope, trust and prayer that he will not (as he has promised), return to the game.

Not all games are bad, but GTA is worth being cautious about.
 
Nov 28, 2007
10,686
0
0
That's still a far cry from going out on a crime spree, though. I can believe a kid can be somewhat influenced, albeit maybe indirectly, from a game like this if they are impressionable, but not to the point of stealing cigarettes from someone.
 

xMacx

New member
Nov 24, 2007
230
0
0
I'm thinking most of the posters in the thread didn't actually read the article, and instead jumped into the standard "head in the ground" position regarding the effects of games on individual.

From the article: "The teens told detectives they were imitating the "Grand Theft Auto" video-game series where characters steal cars, beat up other characters and commit crimes, authorities said."


My only question is - why wouldn't you believe it's true? If the kids said they did something in a game, and tried to emulate it in the streets, why not believe them? People are dumb, and imitate things they're exposed to - even bad things. Hell, a great deal of who you are right now is based on modeling from a million different sources, including movies, friends, and *gasp* games. Why when it involves a personal hobby is it suddenly so unbelievable?

Governments blanket blaming videogames for mass social problems are overreaching, sure.

But gamers who insist that their hobby doesn't affect them in any way are similarly illogical - they're just arguing in the opposite direction. "don't say my hobby has any negative effects!"

I'm not sure either side should get much respect for their positions until they approach the issue a little more logically.
 

ErinHoffman

New member
Sep 6, 2006
55
0
0
In the few places where the media is allowing comment from the public...

Check out these universally disdainful where-were-the-parents? replies on the super-sweet non-GTA-playing "geeksugar" and NYDailyNews.com:

http://www.geeksugar.com/1740403#comments
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/06/26/2008-06-26_six_long_island_teens_busted_in_grand_th-1.html

Common sense, Dr. Phil would say, is making a comeback.
 

Lvl 64 Klutz

Crowsplosion!
Apr 8, 2008
2,338
0
0
Lt. Sera said:
Every crime committed with a baseball bat is clearly the result of too much GTA. Before GTA, there were no baseball bats. Now, everywhere. Crowbar? Definitely Half Life's fault.
Youngster mugging, while not in a video game (that I'm aware of) is clearly an extrapolation of acts related to such behavior from video games.

Darn video games, they'll be the end of us.
Haha, where was JT during the shoplifting spree of the '90s inspired by Link's Awakening [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC1Xqw39QDA]?

Seriously, though. I wouldn't be surprised if GTA was responsible for the act, but there are some other issues at hand if the kids are that impressionable...
 

stompy

New member
Jan 21, 2008
2,951
0
0
TomNook said:
Where are their parents?
A very good question. How about the police, instead of bashing video games, ask the parents about the circumstances of the crime. Maybe we'll learn the kids are violent because of negligent parents, or mental illness or something.
 

ElArabDeMagnifico

New member
Dec 20, 2007
3,775
0
0
I remember when the world was a 100% crime free Utopia before GTA.

Big Bang - No GTA, only Spore and Sims Beta Test (God is in charge of this)

Garden of Eden - God asks Adam to name all his creatures

Then Eve pops up, God clicks "mating call" - and then the first spore porn is created...

Then the snake tells Eve "Hey, I'll give you a copy of GTA if you just take a bite of that apple!" - no hesitation on Eve's part..

God says "Hey, this game is Rated M (for mature) - I hope you are being responsible - woah, wait a sec...you ate the ****ing apples?!?!"

[later...]

Adam and Eve give birth, and their kids get a hand on GTA before they turn 17 (or 18...depends on where they are - and heck, if they were in Australlia or Germany, a lot of the bad content would be taken out, prevent this next incident)

I heard Cain killed Able because his turn was over, and he refused to hand the controller over to Cain - so he did what anyone in GTA would... Then when Atilla the Hun started playing he just thought "oh man this is so awesome!" - and when the Romans started playing, they thought "we need this to be a tad more organized" - henceforth, the Colleseum....then in the Medieval ages, the pope noticed "Gang Wars" in San Andreas (beta) - and thought "We should go on a crusade!" - and then from then on, the mongols arrived, and every conflict you can name, has been started because of the GTA series...

Man GTA is such a horrible thing, I can't believe it inspires people to commit such horrible acts of crime. (It couldn't possibly be the other way around...right?)
 

Shadow Tyrant

New member
Jun 18, 2008
382
0
0
UpInSmoke said:
You know, if you walk down the middle of the street in grand theft auto swinging a baseball bat at random strangers, the Liberty City police will come pick you up too.
Hahahaha. Fucking seconded.

Also, insert sarcastic remark about video games being blamed for violence here.
 

N-Sef

New member
Jun 21, 2008
495
0
0
Don't worry folks, only a couple of years left and the politicians and media will find a new scapegoat for trying to figure out what is wrong with young people.
 

Anton P. Nym

New member
Sep 18, 2007
2,611
0
0
Of course he's going to blame GTA. He can't get away with blaming rap lyrics, D&D, heavy metal music, comic books, dancing, or reading the New Testament aloud in English anymore.

-- Steve
 

huntedannoyed

New member
Apr 23, 2008
360
0
0
Im glad that they are being charged as adults. It is so easy to blame GTA, that poor defensless game, but what about the parents? The parents should still be held libal, even though the kids are being charaged as adults, for buying their kids this game. And, even if they did'nt buy this game for them, they should still be aware of what is happening in their kids lives because everyone involved seems easily impressionable.
 

huntedannoyed

New member
Apr 23, 2008
360
0
0
Im glad that they are being charged as adults. It is so easy to blame GTA, that poor defensless game, but what about the parents? The parents should still be held libal, even though the kids are being charaged as adults, for buying their kids this game. And, even if they did'nt buy this game for them, they should still be aware of what is happening in their kids lives because everyone involved seems easily impressionable.
 

Johnn Johnston

New member
May 4, 2008
2,519
0
0
Uhhh... why is this in The "News" Room? There should be a whole new section called the "Old News" Room for these stories.

They always seem to ignore the fact that there are repercussions in GTA, and it isn't a simple "Running over hookers to gain points"-athon.
 

Zealot_Guy

New member
Jun 30, 2008
54
0
0
Yay stupid twats. I think that this was realy quite fucking hysterical. I live in suffolk, new york, so I got to read this in Newsday! My mother came to me to pull an argument that games cause violence. Bullsheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.
Thease dumb bastards did it out of pure fucking stupidity. Go team retard!
 

Jumplion

New member
Mar 10, 2008
7,873
0
0
I may be late to the punch, but this is going in my "Rant on Mainstream" rant as a reference link :3

Oh GTA, will you ever be left alone?