I'm not sure exactly what you've said in your post. It seems to beas follows: You believe everything I've been reading is hogwash, that the correlations are not causal, but coincidental, and that you are right, therefore we should believe you without any explanation as to why, other than that it is your hunch.Well, here's some data from ONE article I found. I'm not inclined right now to look for more. How 'bout you do that?
David Grossman, lieutenant-colonel in the US army has found:
More than 200 studies have identified a clear cause and effect relationship between violent programming and violence in the real world. The American Psychiatric Associacion, the American Medical Association, the U.S. Surgeon General's Office and the United Nations have all accepted the linkage. (Who do YOU work for?)
"There is absolutely no doubt that higher levels of viewing violence on television are correlated with increased acceptance of aggressive attitudes and increased aggressive behaviour." APA's Commission on Violence and Youth, 1993
"Among children who are violent, those who are heavy viewers of television are 4 to 5 times more likely to be violent criminals than those who are low level viewers of television." Dr Brandon Canterwall, Journal of the American Medical Association, June 10, 1992
These quotes are taken from Adbusters, #25, Spring 1999. Grossman's book is entitled Teaching Kids How to Kill: How Violent TV, MOvies and Video Games Cause Violent Crime.
You also said: "The evidence is not there though, it is only a theory, and most probably a coincidence. I assume you are a primary school teacher, and have to deal with children who are still finding out the reality of life. You cannot simply say that under 13 year olds have the same realisation of what they are doing as over 13 year olds."
Yes, I am an elementary level teacher. Absolutely, young children are developing their understanding of the real world. I'm not sure what you learned about puberty, but once they turn thirteen, no magical gland releases understanding of the world into our systems. Children LEARN about the world. If we don't teach them otherwise, they will begin to absorb some of what they see on TV etc. You seem to be suggesting that kids believing the reality of TV and video games is okay, as long as they grow out of it. Well, some people don't seem to grow out of it.
Furthermore, even if kids did grow out of it at 13, what of those young children who kill? I guess it's okay, eh? They're just kids, let 'em kill each other. I have met young children who stab each other, choke each other, and threaten to kill each other quite often. Some of them (many of them) have access to guns, and many routinely handle and use firearms. This does not make me feel entirely comfortable, if you catch my drift. And remember, I live in Canada, where the access is much more limited.
Please, back up your position that neither firearm access, nor violent media contribute to violence in children. I do not know you well enough to take your word for it, and quite frankly, your track record with providing support to your statements does not incline me to trust you.
