Shops caught selling violent games and knives to children

[wraggster]

CITY shops have been caught out selling knives and ultra-violent video games to underage children.
An undercover “mystery shopper” exercise by Plymouth’s Trading Standards officers saw two 16-year-old buyers test out 34 shops.
Two out of 25 stores were happy to hand over knives to the youngsters while five out of nine shops had no problem selling “18+ rated” video games like Grand Theft Auto 4, to the teens.
Councillor Michael Leaves, Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Environmental Regulation, called the carrying of knives by young people a “a plague”.
Under the Video Recordings Act and the Criminal Justice Act, stores are obligated to ask for proof of age before handing over restricted items.

It was the first time the city council’s trading standards team have targeted games sales and only the second time knife sales have been tested. Last year, out of 23 stores tested, only one failed.
Cllr Leaves said: “It’s vital for shops not to sell youngsters knives and I find it very disappointing that any in Plymouth have done so.
“As for violent video games, I believe they must have a detrimental influence on any children who play them and I would not be at all surprised if there was not a connection with the knife crime issue. Everyone who sells these games must take extra care to ensure they only sell them to those who can legally buy them.”
Lynda Braddock, Trading Standards officer, said the new targeting of games came in light of the “Byron review”.
In March this year TV child psychologist Dr Tanya Byron produced a Government-commissioned review of the impact of violent adult games on children.
She recommended reforming the classification system for video games with one set of symbols on the front of all boxes which are the same as those for film.
Lynda Braddock, who led the operation, said: “The statistics for knife sales are encouraging but it’s still disappointing to find some shops not on board with this issue especially bearing in mind the media coverage on knife crime in recent months.
“And we’re disappointed that the games sellers concerned don’t seem to have taken their training on board or recognised the fact that these games are given a high age rating for a reason.”
The trading officers targeted games which stated they contained violence, including the much publicised Grand Theft Auto 4, which carries a warning about “strong violence, very strong language, sex and drugs references.” Other games targeted included Hitman and Saints Row.
Ms Braddock said: “Games are becoming more and more violent and more and more interactive. Youngsters are using them for four or more hours a day, living the life of a gangster.
“You must lose your shock factor if you’re continuously killing people – and then get rewarded for being violent.”
The two test buyers – a girl and a boy – were also able to buy a 9” to 10” kitchen knife in one store and a pack of four steak knives in another.
Ms Braddock said each of the stores would now be investigated and interviewed to determine what sanctions would be taken. They range from a warning letter, explaining they will be monitored in the coming months, up to the maximum penalty – a six-month prison sentence and/or a £5,000 fine.

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news...l/article.html

[mcdougall57]

Its not the games you gotta be worried about. Man'll shank ya!

[XDelusion]

Personally, I think they should start packaging in knives with copies of Grand Theft Auto, or better yet swords!

It would be nice to see a return to the days of honor when men would fight with there hands or with swords rather than hid behind there guns...

...and where do these guns come from anyhow...

It seems that since "homeland security" was put into place that the import of guns and heroin have only gone up...

...irony? Mistake? I think not!

[trugamer]

I hate the assumptions these people make: big wow a couple of 16 year olds got their hands on GTA. Real life violence is much worse and yet people assume that a 16 year old will become violent. Whoever sold them the games probably made a sound moral judgement, here's a perfectly mature teenager who isn't going to start nicking cars anytime soon, and yet they could go to prison because of some right wing morons.

[stevo11185]

I hate the assumptions these people make: big wow a couple of 16 year olds got their hands on GTA. Real life violence is much worse and yet people assume that a 16 year old will become violent. Whoever sold them the games probably made a sound moral judgement, here's a perdectly mature teenager who isn't going to start nicking cars anytime soon, and yet they could go to prison because of some right wing morons.

idiot... this is about how illegal it is to sell games and knives to kids of this age. Also what are the ages of people committing stabbings? They are teenagers. And shops are selling knives to them. Open your eyes and see past your own made up world and don't assume things rather look at reality if you can comprehend such a thing.

[NovaKane]

LMAO at the thread title.

[kaneco]

idiot... this is about how illegal it is to sell games and knives to kids of this age. Also what are the ages of people committing stabbings? They are teenagers. And shops are selling knives to them. Open your eyes and see past your own made up world and don't assume things rather look at reality if you can comprehend such a thing.

Sorry if I sound sorta like an asshole but lunatics are everywhere...doesn't matter what age they are, either they know what they are doing and they're in some kind of gang (which could be made up of anybody of any age) or they're just lunatics stabbing anybody without any rational judgment.

I think that's possible...but is just as possible as there are normal people with no intentions of buying a kitchen knife to murder anyone and play violent games that influence them into doing so (which I believe is just preposterous).

...If I were to buy a knife, it would be to cut something up or slice some meat at the kitchen or BBQ, and play games (any type) for what they were made for "Entertainment". btw I play violent video games since I can remember, let me give you an example...I started playing Resdent Evil 2 when I was 9, now I'm 18 atm and living life with no insecurities same goes for most of my friends.

So sane people are as real as insane people, don't tell trugamer what he believes is in some sort of a perfect fantasy land.

Too bad...if you feel a little insecure but one cannot be too careful just think more clearly with an open mind.

Right now Politics are fickle, rules made from old relics of the last century that need to change as time goes on, because right now all they've done is create fear by prohibiting which only calls for more attention on the matter it's like we're going back to the days of censorship and freedom of speech which makes people rebel and do the wrong thing just because it's tenting. :rofl:

There's need for a big change on a global scale or should call the 21st century "the age of ridiculous fear".

[devdj]

i was about eleven when i bought my first switchblade from the town market that used to be held on fridays which was a very long time ago and i turned out ok in head i am now twenty two and hell the first violent video game that i ever played was street fighter 2 on the legenday sega megadrive and why buy a knife when there are so many better weopons out that ya can make yourself i don't leave home without my combo steel chain and knife from one of those 15 in 1 tools because the streets ya can't walk down them on your own any more cause a group of chavs will try and pick a fight with ya but no prob for me as i just kick the crap out of them before they even get a chance to strike me.

[kaneco]

Chavs? XD

[Eviltaco64]

"Hey, kids!
Here's a knife and a copy of everyone's favorite murder simulator!
Now GTFO there and kill!"

Doesnt this sound like something Jack Thompson would say? Maybe once he finds out, he'll mail the shopkeeper's mother to tell her she did a $#@! job.