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Head teachers to report parents to police and social services if they let their children play Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty
[*]Letter sent to parents warning about children playing computer games
[*]It says 18+ games can expose children to too much violence and sex
[*]Nantwich Education Partnership said allowing children to play these games, such as Call of Duty, is 'neglectful' and puts them at risk
[*]It warns that teachers will contact police or social services if they are made aware children have been exposed to these violent video games
Parents are in danger of being reported to police by their children's head teachers if they allow them to play video games for over 18s.
A letter sent by a group of schools in Cheshire raised concerns about the 'levels of violence and sexual content' young people are being exposed to by playing games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, which are renowned for their violent characters and have an 18 classification.
It warns that if teachers are made aware their pupils have been playing these video games they will contact police and social services.
The letter, sent by Nantwich Education Partnership, said allowing children to play these type of games on Xboxes and Playstations is deemed 'neglectful'.
It comes amid fears children could be left more vulnerable to grooming and abuse by being exposed to early sexualised behaviour as well as extreme brutality, often seen in video games in the upper age classifications.
The letter says: 'Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Dogs of War and other similar games, are all inappropriate for children and they should not have access to them.
'Nor should they have Facebook accounts or interact on sites or media or messaging sites like WhatsApp that are not designed for their age.'
Nantwich Education Partnership covers 16 primary and secondary schools in Cheshire.
The letter also warns: 'If your child is allowed to have inappropriate access to any game or associated product that is designated 18+ we are advised to contact the Police and Children’s Social Care as it is neglectful.'
There is now more pressure on teachers and social workers to report concerns about children after David Cameron announced they could face up to five years in prison if they do not speak out about suspicions children are being neglected or abused.
Department for Education guidance on safeguarding also urges school staff that they have a responsibility to identify children who are likely to suffer significant harm.
Headteacher Mary Hennessy Jones, who helped draft the letter, told the Sunday Times: 'We are trying to help parents to keep their children as safe as possible in this digital era.'
Video games with an 18 classification are known for their violence.
Call of Duty allows players to take on the role of a blood thirsty soldier in a number of violent scenarios - arming themselves with an arsenal of weapons including rifles, pistols and grenades.
The game has been mired in controversy, with Norwegian mass killer Anders Breivik claiming he had trained himself to kill his 77 victims through playing the game.
Grand Theft Auto is well known for its violence which includes carjacking, gambling, killing and simulated sex with prostitutes. Last year Grand Theft Auto V was removed from the shelves of Australian stores Target and Kmart amid fears that the game glamorises violence against women.
However the message from Nantwich Education Partnership has been criticised by parents as going too far, and threatening parents rather than helping them.
Margaret Morrissey, of Parents Outloud, told the newspaper: 'Accepting the huge concerns about these violent games and their effect on children, I think the schools are stepping outside the realm of what is probably acceptable.'
But she acknowledged that there is no a 'huge pressure' on teachers to report safeguarding concerns, placing them in an impossible situation.
Source: daily mail
Source: BBC News
Short: A group of schools in Cheshire, UK, basically wants to deny children access to 18+ games and every other media or websites like Facebook or WhatsApp that are not 'designed' for their age. If they are allowed access by their parents, teachers will be advised to contact police and children's social care because the parents are neglectful. Teachers who fail to report this can face up to 5 years in prison.
I can understand that a 12-year old kid shouldn't be playing GTA. But putting parents and teachers under pressure and threatening them with Children’s Social Care and prison time is overreacting.
Any thoughts?
That's not their job, or any of their business.
