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Kids playing adult computer games will be taken into care

by on31 March 2015


British Schools threaten parents

A club for school principals in Cheshire who have lost all sense of perspective have threatened to alert social services if children are found to be playing adult rated computer games.

The Nantwich Education Partnership, which represents 16 schools in Cheshire, sent a note to parents expressing concern that "several children have reported playing, or watching adults play games which are inappropriate for their age and have described the levels of violence and sexual content they have witnessed."

Such a complaint, if taken seriously by the authorities could result in children being taken away from their parents and into care. Such witch hunts have happened before, in Orkney Social Services took kids into care when people made complaints that their parents were witches.

The proincipals has threatened parents that the ywill be on the lookout for evidence that children in their care have access to adult video games at home and will "contact the Police and Children's Social Care" if they are made aware of it.

The letter specifically cites Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, and Dogs of War (which we think is God of War or Gears of War) were inappropriate, and also warns parents that children should not have access to Facebook or WhatsApp accounts before they are old enough.

"Access to these games OR to some social media sites such as those above increases early sexualized behaviours (sometimes harmful) in children AND leaves them vulnerable to grooming for sexual exploitation or extreme violence," the letter reads.

"If your child is allowed to have inappropriate access to any game or associated product that is designated 18+ we will are [sic] advised to contact the Police and Children's Social Care as it is neglectful."

Clearly leaving your child in the hands of a person who is autocratic and has no sense of what merits punishment and what doesn't is a little more dangerious than playing adult computer games.  But when the sh*tstorm broke over the letter did these self-appointed guardians for ultra-conservative morals back down?

No they defended their letter. In fact the drafter Mary Hennessy Jones said it was simply an effort to "help parents... keep their children as safe as possible in this digital era. It is so easy for children to end up in the wrong place and parents find it helpful to have very clear guidelines."

Clearly the "wrong place" is a school which believes taking children into care for playing computer games is a good idea. Hell, what will they do when they discover your kid is swapping lunches with the other ten year olds, or snogging behind the bike sheds?

Margaret Morrissey, a representative for lobbying group Parents Outloud pointed out that if . "If schools want to get the support of parents and gain their confidence, threatening them with social services will not help... To get the social services involved is an absolute disaster because it starts telling parents that we don't trust you to be responsible for your children."

 

 

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