|
"It's tough being a parent these days," Blagojevich said. "It's
much more difficult than it was when my parents were raising my
brother and me. When I was growing up, my mother spent a lot of time
worrying about what my brother and I were doing outside of the home
-- who we were hanging around with and making sure we weren't
hanging around with the wrong kids. Nowadays, it's a lot tougher.
While the values parents are teaching their kids are very similar,
the demands on parents are greater. They're spending more time
outside of the home, and there are more dangers coming into the
home.
"Parents don't need government to raise their kids. That's their
job. But government can help them protect their children from
influences they may not want their kids exposed to. This law makes
Illinois the first state in the nation to ban the sale and rental to
children of violent and sexually explicit video games. This law is
all about empowering parents and giving them the tools they need to
protect their kids. And giving them the ability to make decisions on
the kinds of games their kids can play."
"I introduced this legislation because these games are graphic,
offensive and intended for adults, not children," said Chapa LaVia,
House sponsor. "We are now the only state in the nation to protect
our children from these games, and I am grateful to the governor and
my colleagues in the General Assembly for showing leadership on this
issue."
The Safe Games Illinois Act bans the rental and sale of violent
and sexually explicit video games to children younger than 18.
Retailers who violate the ban commit a petty offense and face a fine
of $1,000. The bill also requires retailers to label violent and
sexually explicit video games, similar to the "parental advisory"
label found on music CDs, and to post signs explaining the video
game rating system. A retailer's failure to properly label games or
place proper signs is punishable by a $500 fine for the first three
violations and a $1,000 fine for every subsequent violation.
Unlike the motion picture industry, the video game industry has
not developed an effective self-regulation system that keeps adult
material out of the hands of minors. In 2003, the Federal Trade
Commission found that 69 percent of teenagers were able to purchase
M-rated video games -- giving them easy access to images many adults
would consider offensive. The commission also found that not only
are minors easily purchasing violent and sexually explicit games, 10
of the 11 companies it studied produced at least one marketing
document specifically targeting boys under 17 for a violent, M-rated
game. An independent investigation by state Rep. Paul Froehlich,
R-Schaumburg, and the Illinois State Crime Commission found that a
15-year-old boy could purchase "mature"-rated video games
(recommended for children 17 and older) at 11 of the 15 stores he
visited.
The danger in giving minors easy access to mature video games was
highlighted recently when the Entertainment Software Rating Board
changed the rating of the popular Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from
"M" (for "mature") to "AO" (adults only) when it was discovered that
players can acquire software over the Internet that unlocks hidden
X-rated material within the game. Under the Safe Games Illinois Act,
only adults will be able to purchase Grand Theft Auto and similar
mature-themed video games.
"Parents today are up against a multibillion-dollar industry that
peddles violent and sexually explicit video games to children," the
governor said. "And when a kid plays the video game, he's not a
spectator -- he's a participant. He's the one who uses the joystick
and the keyboard. He's the one who takes crack cocaine and feels the
video controller simulate what it's like to be on drugs. He's the
one who engages in simulated sex. He cuts someone's head off and
makes blood spurt from the neck. He's the killer who laughs at the
victim and makes crude sexual comments after being with a
prostitute. And, incidentally, he gets extra credit for doing it.
"For the same reason we don't allow kids to buy pornography, for
the same reason we don't allow kids to buy cigarettes, for the same
reason we don't allow kids to buy alcohol, we shouldn't allow them
to go to stores and buy violent and sexually explicit video games --
games that teach them to do the very things we put people in jail
for."
Under the Safe Games Illinois Act, "violent" games are defined as
those that include depictions of or simulations of human-on-human
violence in which the player kills or otherwise causes serious
physical harm to another human. "Serious physical harm" includes
depictions of death, dismemberment, amputation, decapitation,
maiming, disfigurement, mutilation of body parts or rape. "Sexually
explicit" games are defined as those that the average person --
applying contemporary community standards with respect to minors --
would find are designed to appeal or pander to the prurient interest
and that depict or represent in a manner patently offensive to
minors any of the following: an actual or simulated sexual act or
sexual contact, an actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual
act, or a lewd exhibition of reproductive organs.
[to top of second column in this article] |
Various studies demonstrate the negative impact that playing violent
and sexually explicit video games has on minors. One such study,
completed in 2003 by four experts, including Douglas Gentile from
the National Institute on Media and the Family, concluded that
adolescents who expose themselves to greater amounts of video game
violence were more hostile, reported getting into arguments with
teachers more frequently, were more likely to be involved in
physical fights and performed more poorly in school. The National
Institute of Media and the Family recently found that 92 percent of
all children ages 2 to 17 play video games, and the average child
spends nine hours each week playing them. The institute also found
that 87 percent of preteen and teenage boys play games rated "M" for
"mature" by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. M-rated games
often contain realistic depictions of human injury and death,
mutilation of body parts, rape, sex, profanity, and drug, alcohol
and tobacco consumption.
"Our goal has always been to provide a greater measure of
protection for our children," said Demuzio, Senate sponsor of the
bill. "I want to thank legislators from both sides of the aisle who
have worked extremely hard to implement legislation that will place
safeguards on violent video games."
"Until this measure became law, retailers had no legal obligation
about selling graphic, harmful and severe video games to minors,"
said Tim Winter, executive director of Parent's Television Council.
"A 10-year-old could purchase an adult-oriented video game. Many of
these games portray the most graphic destruction imaginable --
images of violent, sexual, racist and sexist behavior that young,
impressionable children just should not see. When games award points
for murdering policemen and having sex with prostitutes, our
children are receiving a dangerous dose of negative values. We
applaud the leadership undertaken by Illinois and know that many
other states will soon follow their example."
In December, Blagojevich launched a website for parents,
www.safegamesIllinois.org,
where they can learn about the effects of violent and sexually
explicit video games, report inappropriate video games, and report
Illinois retailers that are selling such games to minors.
The governor also created the Safe Games Illinois Task Force to
gather information on the impact of violent and sexually explicit
video games, develop strategies for parents, and give
recommendations to the governor.
"It is very exciting that our legislature and our governor worked
together to sign this law that will give parents another tool to
keep unwanted games out of their households," said Deb Perryman,
member of the Safe Games Illinois Task Force and Illinois Teacher of
the Year. "I am grateful that our leaders have listened to parents
about what is right for our kids, as opposed to listening to the
games industry."
"On behalf of parents, especially those with preteen and teenage
children, I thank the Illinois legislators and the governor for
creating and passing the Safe Games Illinois Act," said Mary
Ann Topping, Springman Middle School PTA president. "This
legislation will help protect our children from the violent and
negative influences of these video games. We as parents and adults
in society need support to help us enforce the values and behaviors
we want and expect from our children, and the Safe Games Illinois
Act is a step in the right direction."
"With the realization that pornography is now available on
popular video games, efforts to educate parents, create policy to
protect children and fund research about children and media have
become more important than ever," said Dr. David Walsh, president
and founder of the National Institute on Media and the Family.
"The people of Illinois have acted with compassion and foresight
by choosing to protect the physical, mental and social health of
children," said Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center on Media
and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical
School. "Research shows that children become anxious, desensitized
and aggressive when they use violent media. Video games are
effective teaching tools, and we need to decide what we want our
children to learn. As a pediatrician and a parent, I applaud the
governor's efforts to give parents and responsible adults the tools
to raise healthy and safe children in the Information Age."
"Parents are concerned because kids can easily get their hands on
these violent and sexually explicit video games," said Jim Steyer,
chief executive officer of Common Sense Media. "This common-sense,
bipartisan bill will prevent that. The video game industry has
clearly not done enough to stop the marketing and sales of 'M'-rated
violent video games to kids, and I applaud the governor of Illinois
for helping to protect our kids' future."
House Bill 4023 is effective Jan. 1, 2006.
[News release from the governor's
office] |
