Huntly teenagers plead guilty to setting cats on fire

[placidfemme]

An eye for an eye Set them on fire

*sings* We don't need no water let the mother f***ers burn... *stops singing*

[ManDownUnder]

Of course violent video games don't modify behaviour. That's why the US military use them in training, not to dehumanise the target so that their troops will kill, but to entertain them.

Cheers Lou - you're bang on there! (Acttually that's exactly what I had in mind when I wrote it).

They don't do it over night, but have you ever noticed how a game that seems amasing at first, gets lame after a while, and the new, more violent, louder more dastardly one is then the cool one... which then gets lame... etc

What changing? The code executing on your PC/xbox etc? ... I don't think so...

Desensitising yourself to violence makes more extreme violence acceptable. Games are one way (of many) of doing that. Maybe that's what happened to these kids - do you think?

MDU

[WINJA]

An eye for an eye Set them on fire

FUCK YEAH ID DO IT , THE CHANCE OF THEM DOING OFFENDING AGAINST HUMANS NEXT IS SO HIGH I THINK THEY SHOULD BE KILLED , IM SERIOUS LIGHT THOSE FUCKERS ON FIRE AND KILL EM , ID DO IT FOR FREE. NEXT THEYLL BE CLIMBING IN OUR FAMILYS WINDOWS AND RAPING OUR MUMS AND SISTERS , THEY HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER SOCIETY AND I DONT BELIEVE IN REHAB, ITLL BE ANOTHER TAFFE HOTENE CASE.

[John]

Sorry I dont want to sound blunt, but I disagree hole heartitly.

video games are violent, yes
videos games have subliminal messages, yes

war is violent, yes
news is more R18 rated than most slasher movies
tv is loaded with subliminal messages, yes

Ok try this, if your a night owl, like myself watch that dirty brian chap, listen to it first and you actually notice the messages in what hes preeching, now watch the tv while he blabbers on, notice a difference?

Funny how the world works, dont be so quick to blame the video games industry (they are just subliminal advertisers) - Look at back in the day, we had more mental cases than now, just think what you want everyone just remeber your not helping the cause by talking, go get in your vans (preferably with your wife or vice versa) and go storm troop the beehive....wait where have we seen that before?

Not attacking you MDU or anyone else, but think it through more than once before you judge.

[ManDownUnder]

Not attacking you MDU or anyone else, but think it through more than once before you judge.

John - upfront I'm not taking this as an attack at all - I welcome the input, and if I'm wrong I get to learn...

I am happy to say the influence of video games is negligible on 95%+ of people anyway - anyone without additional factors that combine to alter the way of thinkiong that person has. I'd also say a video game is but one of many influences impacting a person (so they are quite possibly going off the rails anyway - even in the absence of games... just as they did in "the good old days")

The key difference between games and TV is that you get to control the activity in the game, the feedback is designed to encourage certain behaviours (shooting people for example).

TV is passive. You sit there and are taken for the ride. You geet no feedback for your actions - you have none.

My concern is with young, easily influenced minds accessing material they're not ready to deal with.

They have not yet formed firm understandings of how to react to violence - what is "normal". So a game (or some other violent episode in their life... like being dragged off to war at 18) will have an undue influence at that point, and once their attitudes and understandings are set... they're buggered for life.

Same thing as kids being beaten by parents... they tend to become violent parents themselves. That's what they know to do... that's "how it's done".

Games have an input to that process. They are not the sole input, nor are they particularly significant... generally. But in the presence of other influencing factors they can certainly assist in altering a (young) person's viewpoint.

MDU

[ManDownUnder]

Ok try this, if your a night owl, like myself watch that dirty brian chap, listen to it first and you actually notice the messages in what hes preeching, now watch the tv while he blabbers on, notice a difference?

Hey - I meant to ask... what did you mean by this (I don't get it.. what is the difference you're referring to... )

Sorry - not a night owl and I want to be clear on what you're saying
MDU

[John]

Hey - I meant to ask... what did you mean by this
MDU

Well I did my own mini experiment (It is indeed a bit (re: very) inaccurate BUT) I watched a series of TV programs, But I watched them differently.>>>>

• I would find a program and LISTEN to what is being said and make NO contact with the TV, I would then note my feelings towards said speaker.>>>>

• Then I would watch the program normally, and note how I felt.>>

What I found with destiny churches preaching’s is that, if you listen to it you get a blunt message, "I am taking the government and your money to get me there" But when I watched it I found his preaching to be somewhat fair and justified, that freaked me out.>>

Now on with the video game thingamabob, Now I do agree with you Video games are a problem, but need to be moderated by the parents of said 'killers' .

I particularly enjoy plucking stuff from David Walsh, Ph.D.

Exposure to violent games increases physiological arousal.

Well that’s pretty logical isn’t it really, You don’t need a Ph.D to figure out that beating/shooting/mauling people/objects will of course increase brain activity, and increase overall body activity, its like life - we get the same(ish) emotions if we experienced it in real life, games have passed the point of 'games' they are all life simulators.

Exposure to violent games increases aggressive thoughts.

Well that’s again, one of those 'duh' things, you cant sit a kid in front of the box with a PS2 and a copy of GTA:SA and then go do whatever you want now can you? That is obviously going to cause some sort of adverse effects.

Exposure to violent games increases aggressive emotions.

Again, you cant really in all honestly expect them to raise themselves on PS2/other (I’m building up to a point here)..

Exposure to violent games increases aggressive actions.

He amused me here with that one..

If they beat the other student, they got to deliver a loud "noise blast," and were able to control how loud and how long the noise blast would be. Students who had previously played the violent video game delivered longer noise blasts to their opponents (Anderson & Dill, 2000).

Ok Well no crapola, they just finished playing a 'violent' video game, the adrenalin and crap is still running, maybe it could have being more justified over a longer period of time... i.e. years/months.

Students who played more violent video games were also more likely to see the world as a hostile place

Well thats a bloody good thing, because at least they aren’t shielded from the truth, sure it maybe semi anti-social, hasn’t stopped many 'young'ns' getting out and drinking etc.

Ok, I am just nit picking at this chap, but the point is... what is the common link between all these? The parent, THE PARENT - the games aren’t doing it at all, its lazy fecken parenting - We live in a generation in which we can throw a kid a PS2 and some games and go for tea and scones at joans... see what I mean?
And again, they are exposed to it in all media formats; paper, TV, everything - if parents actually learnt how to 'parent' so called then we might be in a better place?
The problem with that is... WHAT is parenting - we still haven’t got it right lets maybe put more dollar into the research on proper parenting - not old myths, and not trying to find excuses to cover up what crap we have done.>>

Don’t take this as a hostile post, I agree with you to an extent – but even I am disgraced as its use as a cover up, sad really.>>

Who can honestly say that they were the best parents they could possibly be?


Reference:

David Walsh, Ph.D. http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/c...ers/walsh.html >>

[Badcat]

I understand they have both pled guilty to the charges. Hopefully the sentencing judge is a cat lover and has seen their pathetic antics outside the court house played on the six o-clock news.

Personally I'm no fan of cats but no helpless creature should be tortured in that manner. Fucken sub humans should be arse fucked by a pack of Baboons.

so - these little fuckos were a lot bigger than the cats, right?
perhaps they should be put in the same situation with a couple of pumas, but give them some glue and matches to even it up?
Honestly, i'd love to be the judge on that day.
or..

how about if they are given community service (as they undoubtedly will in this softcock state) that it be 1000 hours cleaning faeces out of dog and cat enclosures at the spca?
i'm sure the spca staff will be real friendly and understanding of their awfully hard upbringing....

little cunts.

[Badcat]

I don't need to say much about these guys, its all been said. But blaming video games? FFS, I know hundreds of people who play violent video games, watch violent movies etc, but none of these people would do anything like this. This sort of thinking can't be blamed on a TV in the corner of a room.

ok - i work in the games industry - for Microsoft.
what no-one seems to acknowledge, is that all video games for sale in NZ carry AGE WARNINGS, just like DVDS etc.
you wouldn't let your 8 year old rent and watch R18 porn, would you?
so why buy them R18 video games?
i know it's not that simple, but doesn't anyone think that the parents need to control what their kids watch etc?

[John]

but doesn't anyone think that the parents need to control what their kids watch etc?

[ManDownUnder]

Well I did my own mini experiment (It is indeed a bit (re: very) inaccurate BUT) I watched a series of TV programs, But I watched them differently.>>>>

• I would find a program and LISTEN to what is being said and make NO contact with the TV, I would then note my feelings towards said speaker.>>>>

• Then I would watch the program normally, and note how I felt.>>

What I found with destiny churches preaching’s is that, if you listen to it you get a blunt message, "I am taking the government and your money to get me there" But when I watched it I found his preaching to be somewhat fair and justified, that freaked me out.

Understood - body language makes up a large portion of the message - the emotive part (convincing you to support/not support the person delivering it)
>>
>>

Now on with the video game thingamabob, Now I do agree with you Video games are a problem, but need to be moderated by the parents of said 'killers' .

...

Well that’s again, one of those 'duh' things, you cant sit a kid in front of the box with a PS2 and a copy of GTA:SA and then go do whatever you want now can you? That is obviously going to cause some sort of adverse effects.

The problem with that is... WHAT is parenting - we still haven’t got it right lets maybe put more dollar into the research on proper parenting - not old myths, and not trying to find excuses to cover up what crap we have done.>>

Don’t take this as a hostile post, I agree with you to an extent – but even I am disgraced as its use as a cover up, sad really.>>

Who can honestly say that they were the best parents they could possibly be?

Agreed - parenting has a massive... MASIIVE influence on kids directly, and indirectly (through restrictions on video games...and porn, and booze and...)

Prepare the kids for these issues. They WILL be exposed to them, and give them age appropriate information... (i.e. a 5 year old doesn't need a full working knowledge about sex, but an understanding of Mum and Dad make a baby, it grows in mummy's tummy and they are in a comitted relationship kinda helps)

Then when they come across the sex (or in this case violence) they have a framework already in place to deal with it as best they can - opr know to turn it off/walk away/whatever.

I think we're saying much the same thing here just looking at it from different perspective.

Onya!

MDU

[John]

I think we're saying much the same thing here just looking at it from different perspective.

Onya!

MDU

I agree, So today in playschool we learned - its all about responsibility.

[Lou Girardin]

In the US, the families of 3 murderded cops are sueing games manufacturers on the basis that a certain game acted as a training tool for the person that killed their husbands/fathers.
The actions of the perpetrator exactly mirrored certain scenes in this game.
Taking a gun off one of the cops at the police station, then moving through the rooms killing each cop with a head shot.
It was too close to be co-incidental

[ManDownUnder]

I agree, So today in playschool we learned - its all about responsibility.

LOL - yeah.

To quote my dear old Mum on the day of 16th birthday.

"As of today, if you end up in prison... I promise to come and visit"

I think that summed it all up for me (not to mention the fact it gave reason to think)

MDU

[Jackrat]

I understand most serial killers got their first kicks doing this kind of thing to animals.I hope the judge that sits on these scum takes that into account an gives them the wake up they really need.
Unfortunatly I've lost faith in our system and Belive they will probably get diversion if their eligable.If not that, then some other pointless slap on the wrist.Probably just end up smoking pot with the Bro's on PD for a few months.
Just to sick for words I'm affraid.