Official Wants Parents Jailed Over Games
United Press International
Mar 10, 2009
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- New Zealander parents who give their underage children access to violent video games should be prosecuted, an official says.
Chief Censor Bill Hastings said the parents should face charges to provide "shock value" to other parents, the Wellington Dominion Post reported Friday.
Hastings told the newspaper that if someone was caught knowingly allowing a child access to restricted video games -- such as the Grand Theft Auto series -- they could be punished by up to three months imprisonment or a fine of up to $10,000.
"They might think the offense is silly, but it ain't," he was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
Hastings noted that studies had shown that repeated exposure to violence and sexual violence had an adverse effect on children.
"I think the word 'game' can mislead people for sure. It's not checkers," he said. "For the first time in history, kids are more savvy with technology than parents ... parents need to get up to speed on the digital divide. They need to look at what their kids are playing and doing."
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