By Bruno Waterfield - 15th November 2006
Parental advisory warnings and age restrictions on the sale of “obscene and perverse” video and computer games are to be urged by the European commission this December.
European justice commissioner Franco Frattini has written to Europe’s capitals demanding “common sense” on games he blames for violent or bullying behaviour among children.
Frattini has been particularly distressed by a Sony Playstation game, The rule of Rose, which “shocked… profoundly for its obscene cruelty and brutality”.
The computer game detractors claim involves inflicting psychological and physical violence on a young girl has hit the headlines in Frattini’s native Italy.
“Games where you are supposed to shoot down ordinary people walking on the streets, or where you have to bully children at schools are other examples of such, in essence obscene and perverse, games,” he writes.
Frattini has told TheParliament.com that he is not seeking “prohibition” but is sounding a wake-up call to European politicians and justice ministers.
“This is about taking responsibility and a common sense approach. At a certain point we should say ‘enough is enough’ and stop the message to our kids that this is normal behaviour,” he told this website.
The commission is asking Europe’s justice ministers to look at possible measures at a December 5 meeting in Brussels.
“Whereas of course it is first and foremost the responsibility of the parents to protect children from such games, I nevertheless think that we at member state and European level also have to take responsibility to protect children’s rights.
“I would like to propose to have a first exchange of views on this issue with the objective of identifying possible scope for, complementary, national and European level activities… including on issues such as awareness raising, the labelling of such games and the selling to minors.”
The commission is to hold a conference with industry and experts early in 2007 to seek a voluntary approach to violent gaming.
“It is obvious that we should simultaneously involve all relevant stakeholders with a view to establishing, if relevant, a public-private partnership,” he writes.
“Such partnership could for instance explore the usefulness of and necessity for a voluntary code of conduct on the production of interactive games for children.”
“We could focus on the relationship between our children and the iinter-active world’ they are confronted with nowadays: a world which brings along at the same time windows of positive opportunities as well as potential dangers.”
One particular concern for officials is the current rating system for online games.
“These ratings are more about technical quality and no one seems to care about the impact of violence on children. It may seem old fashioned but we believe it is time to care,” said an official.
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