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/Shops-caught-selling-violent-games-knives-children/article-327331-detail/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 shit job.

[XDelusion]

Actually, while I lived in Arizona, I heard about a lot of kids killing kids.

None the less, I'd say Grand Theft Auto has a lot less server influence upon kids (aside of desensitization) than say...

...materialism worshipping Disney queen, Hannah Montana, or Paris Hilton, or say Kate Perry, who you DO see girls go out and imitate.

Anyhow, I think that eventually the whole novelty of shock and awe will wear thin and games will become as deep and original as novels can be and there will be a move away from the ultra violent and crass for the sake of being ultra violent and crass, though I could be wrong. Besides we are not talking about one generation, we're talking about a steady stream of minds that are young and work like a sponge, but also minds that or new to this world and easily influenced and led astray so, with that in mind...

...perhaps shock and awe is here to stay until the day of the apocalypse? ;)

[Voorhees]

Hmm, well it's extremely easy to get get a hold of a knife, but i don't they should sell that young people knives anyway.

What's the young kids going to do with a knife? Use it for cooking? Don't think so.

Why are everyone saying that the games aren't dangerous at all?
And alot of people think that they should sell, for example, GTA IV to kids at age 8-13.

I really think that there should be an age restriction. If a person at age 8 sits at home playing GTA IV all the time (a boy at that age would probably play alot if the parents are lazy) then that person are going to take different actions in the world than a normal kid.
And that is because kids at age 8 hasn't fully developed their "brain", they will think and behave based on the events in their life.
This will affect younger kids more.

I've read studies done by experienced doctors and such. I've read alot overall about this subject. And what i'm saying is a fact. Of course, every individual is different and there are much more kids that safely can play all games, but there are some kids that can't.

So i think they should keep age restrictions. Games i think will do the most harm if handed to the wrong person is, GTA IV, World of Warcraft and MMORPG´s in general. I also think World of Warcraft has harmed more kids and other persons more than any other game.
World of Warcraft actually creates asociality and other syndroms based on fear of interacting with people. I really want to have an age restriction for World of Warcraft, there are so many good reasons to have one.

And finally, please be mature and see that this is MY opinion and some facts taken from other people. So don't baulder to "YOUR WRONG, THATS NOT FACTS, FUKK YOU JERK"
But please discuss this with me if you want to, and with that i really mean a real discussion. Not a "Your wrong i'm right" contest.

So peace out yall.

P.S: I love games, i play games alot and love every kind of game.
I have every major console and play all of them, so i'm not an old lady complaining about shit.

[darkdex52]

lol? Underaged kids can't buy knives in USA? o.O How ****ed up is that? Now that's what I call paranoid.

I have a army swiss knife with me all the time, and I must say, that it's really useful to have one. I use it when I go fishing, bbq'ng e.t.c.

oh, well..........

[bah]

This is crazy.

I had plenty of knives amongst other things when I was far younder than 16, never cut let alone stabbed anyone.
Had my Dad's tool shed at my disposal and guess what, I was able to use anything from there as a tool, not a weapon.

They even mention that the knives in question are kitchen knives!
Flick knives (switchblades) ok, but kitchen knives?
I certainly have never heard of kitchen knives not being sold to 'kids'.

A 5 year old, fair enough, reject them in good sense.
But a 16 yr old? They may be immature but they are not a kid, and I dont beleive your average 16 yr old is going to be buying kitchen knives for stabbing people.
One was a girl. Sorry to stereotype, but a 16 yr old female buying kitchen knives. That would lead me to think she is going to........ Cook dinner?

Nanny state ++

[chanaz]

eww age restriction? How about a stupid kid restriction. Who the hell came up with the whole kids do violent crimes because of something they saw in a video game. They do it cause they're ****ing psychopathic. And if parents dont want kids playing violent video games, then why not stop them from playing them in the first place.

[trugamer]

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.

I'm not complainign about the knives- read it again and you'll see I made my complaints about people talking about video games.

The fact they lump games and knives together only proves my point- is giving a 16 year old a knife as dangerous as playing GTA?

And clearly the teenagers who did this are clearly sensible people as they are doing volunteer work for the local council.

And calling me an idiot when you did't even read what I put, you should really think before you start
flaming people. You're the one who looks like an idiot.

EDIT: I'd like to point out you have fallen into the trap of asociating the two because the article does, this is partly caused by the journalists who wrote the article and the council for doing the tests at the same time (which is perfectly reasonable as it takes quite a lot of organisation to set up something like this, in total something like 5 people are needed + volunteers).

GTA and knife crime are unrelated. I haven't played the game but I know its mostly revolved around cars and guns, the knife is probably a weapon but then its a weapon in lots of games, and it isn't the knife that makes it an 18.

And do you really believe if 16 year olds could buy knives knife crime among minors would go up? No they sold kitchen knices, present in pretty much every kitchen in the country. We all know that knife crime (as a whole) is going down but the media is currently honing in on knife crime among minors. Is it rising? probably. But all your concerns about knives come from one place: the media. And the journalist making those stories wants you to be concerned about one thing, and clearly you are. I will also mention that there was a time when a 16 year old could by a knife but recently that has increased, most stores executed an 18s only store policy on knives anyway.

Give me a break for coming up with my own opinions about games when you're just echoing the media in your

[chanaz]

trugamer i agree. Thats like saying Cooking Mama for Wii should be rates 18+ because your using a knife with a wiimote. *~*QUICK ALERT JACK THOMPSON! THOSE BASTARDS ARE TRAINING PUR KIDS TO KILL WITH KNIVES*~*

[kjetil1991]

The parents must keep the children away from violent video games until their mind is old enough to understand what you can do and not do

[Baboon]

Haha... this is where I'm from. lol

I'll better go out and get a flak jacket to avoid the trouble on the mean streets of Plymouth! lol