Should We Let Our Children Play Violent Video Games?

Thanks to everyone who participated in our discussion about vaccines last week for Moms Talk, a feature on Encino Patch that is part of a new initiative to reach out to moms and families.

Encino Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in Encino.

Every Wednesday in Moms Talk, the experts and smart moms who make up our Moms Council take your questions, give advice and share solutions.

Through Moms Talk, mothers, fathers, grandparents and the diverse families of our community have a new resource for the thousands of issues that arise while raising children.

So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with a question from Jill Krutchik, a member of our Encino Patch Moms Council:

As a parent, you have certain "lines in the sand" that you won't cross. For some parents, it is foul language. For others, it's sexual content. For me, it is violence in video games. (For many parents, it may be video games in general.) 

Once my husband and I opened Pandora's box and allowed video games in the house, we laid down one very clear rule: no games depicting violence. 

I believe that violence should never be trivialized and that it desensitizes people to its true horrors. Needless to say, as the years have gone by, my son, now 14, has challenged my position. I have always held firm. Last month he wanted to know why it was OK for him to watch violent television shows like NCIS and CSI but not video games. While I thought this was novel, I pointed out that unlike the video games, in the television shows a) he was not the perpetrator and, b) in most cases the bad guy is caught and punished. 

However, I am now at a crossroads. My son is about to enter high school and is trying to make a deal: making the honor roll in exchange for being allowed to play Call of Duty. I am inclined to agree to the deal. He has heard my position, can articulate why he does not believe in it and is entering into a phase of his almost adult life in which he will be making more important decisions on his own. My question is: At what point do you start letting your children make these kinds of decisions based on their own beliefs, even when they go against yours?

ANSWER: You tell us. Log in in the upper right-hand corner. It's free, and only takes about 20 seconds. Then comment on this article. Share your views and get some advice. Suggest future questions for discussion.

The Encino Moms Council will share its insights along with you.