The case of Daniel Petric, the "Halo Killer' again brings up the question: are your kids at risk for video game-induced rage? Photo Credit: AP
Daniel Petric, the now 17-year-old in question, recently got 23 years to life for killing his mother (his father survived his wounds) and claimed insanity at his trial. An obsession with the sci-fi shooter game Halo 3 supposedly kept Daniel in his room playing the game for up to 18 hours a day -- and he began to confuse the land of Halo with that of reality.
Originally, Daniel said his father, Mark Petric, shot his mother and then turned the gun on himself. But his father survived and told police the truth. A local pastor in Wellington, Ohio, Mark has since forgiven his son and even testified on his behalf at his trial.
Another instance of a teenager flying into a rage after being deprived of a video game took place in 2006, in Arkansas. After grounding her grandson, Allen Gann, from playing games the night before for not doing his chores, he sat down and played a full day's worth, including Resident Evil, Smackdown vs. Raw and Midnight Club 2.
When she reminded him of the punishment, the 17-year-old flew into a rage, choking her and later, throwing a hammer at a state trooper. The teenager was then shot by the trooper in the leg and charged as an adult with aggravated assault. Not a pretty picture.
Add to this that the Washington DC sniper, Lee Boyd Malvo, played Halo regularly and the Columbine shooters were huge Doom fans, and you're left with an idea that violent games may lead to violent behavior in certain children.
Video Game Rage in the News
In this infamous case, 18-year-old Devin Moore says he went on a killing spree inspired by Grand Theft Auto.
Source: CBS News/60 Minutes
A thirteen-year-old boy stabs his 16-year-old brother in the chest after an alleged argument over who would play next.
Source: Kotaku
A Navy man kills a fellow sailor while playing a video game.
Source: Fox News
An in-game rivalry continues in a real-life brawl. One of the players was so badly beaten that he died from his injuries. The story also says that another Moscow man was beaten to death in a similar situation and a 20-year-old gamer killed his grandmother when she said it was time to eat dinner.
Source: GameSpot
A matter of weeks ago, a PC gamer in Shanghai was murdered after an argument about a virtual weapon in the game. The victim was sleeping when the murderer broke in and stabbed him to death.
Source: China Daily
So how do you make sure your kids keep their rage in check while playing their favorite video games? In a world obsessed with electronics—it may be tougher than you think. Cell phones, computers and video games occupy a huge place in our children's worlds and though we all had experience with some sort of technology growing up, none of us are equipped to understand exactly how it is affecting the next generation. In other words, it's lost in translation.
So, in addition to trying to understand how your child is living through this new, connected world, you may want to try to take things in moderation. If you want to cut down on game time, limit time gradually and check out a few handy tools, taken from Microsoft's GetGameSmart.org site, such a polls like Do You Know Your Gamers, the ability to download a pact that spells out the rules for all digital entertainment, and print out checklists that let parents track their kid's digital footprints.
Web site mothernature.com says addiction to video games is more common than we'd like to think, and could be a sign that something else might be wrong with your child. It could very well be an escape from problems at home or at school. A family counselor or therapist may not be a bad idea if video game habits change suddenly.
If your child has a problem listening to you when you suggest cutting down on gaming time, Steven Silvern, Ph.D., suggests a few tips. These include developing an incentive system, scheduling "reality" break times to discuss what's going on in the house with a family member or friend, make gaming a social occasion rather than letting your child play for hours alone and even playing games with your kids so you can share their experiences.
As you can see in these viral videos, some children behave like toddlers when their gaming privileges are taken away or managed. Nobody wants to see this from someone they love, so be aware, be vigilant and be sure to impose rules that the whole family can abide by.
Reader Comments (519)
Okay dusty754, obviously letting your son play 18 hours of anything is unhealthy. Plainly this kid had pre existing issues. To just blame the video games is ludicrous. They should have sought help long before the attack. Blaming video games is just scapegoating. You only hear about a few isolated incidents, and in each case the kid probably would have erupted anyway. Use YOUR brain...go play Parchesi.
One more thing, Parents wake up and do your job as a parent and discipline your children, and be the parent ruling the child not the child ruling you. You have let the government and the fear of legal repercussions keep you from being the parent you should be. The Bible says that if you spare the discipline, you hate the child. It isn't worded exactly that way but that is the meaning. Do your God given duty and raise them up in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it.
Posted by williamchahner on 7/16/2009 7:28 pm Hey mazaprin, Religion has killed more people over the years than video games. Should we BAN religion (with capital letters) to save the children as well? Every year there are new hot button issues that parents freak out over (which are NON-issues). When we start banning games, what next? Movies? TV? Books? Oh no!, little Jimmy saw something questionable...let's ban it. Try actual parenting first. People like you will start book burnings, if it's not something YOU like. Welcome to Nazi germany then. Try actual parenting? So what the hell were the parents that were attacked doing? Playing Parchessi? How about you try using your brain???
I believe that violent video games should be outlawed,but since that isn't going to happen, then theyshould program an auto shut down of the game that would limit the play time. A shutdown program would warn the child playing to save their game then count down to shut down, then not allow restart for a set number of hours, or be programmable by the parent only, for certain hours. I believe this would help considerably, maybe not completely but at least they would have down time that would allow for other activities away from video games. Just a thought.
Hey mazaprin, Religion has killed more people over the years than video games. Should we BAN religion (with capital letters) to save the children as well? Every year there are new hot button issues that parents freak out over (which are NON-issues). When we start banning games, what next? Movies? TV? Books? Oh no!, little Jimmy saw something questionable...let's ban it. Try actual parenting first. People like you will start book burnings, if it's not something YOU like. Welcome to Nazi germany then.
Posted by mn8 on 7/16/2009 4:08 pm Girlyface132 Did you know that history shows when society as a whole believes in God, follows the bible and keeps itself in check admonishing one another, there is no need for the state to surveil the people. No, what happens is the people keep the state in check! Did you know that what marxists figured out was if they could make it appear wrong for society to admonish one another and keep themselves in check then they could come in and cry that the state needs to do it for us? The reason the family is so alienated is government, corporations and media have so steathly and purposely worked to put themselves between the parent and the child that the family does not know what hit them. I think some of this is apparent to you, I encourage you to read about transformational marxism. ---- Uh, what? Apparently you're trying to get a rise out of me, or something like that. I mentioned nothing about the government, the bible, or marxism. I believe in your statement, you didn't mention the root cause of a lot of issues like the so-called "video game rage": Parental Responsibility.
It is very unfortunate that the government has let all these violent video games producing and marketing companies run out of control and device and sell even more violent ones each time without any regulation. It is time to BAN (in capital letters) any video game that glorifies violence and mayhem and gore and start allowing only educational, brain challenging and sport games like volleyball, basketball, tennis, etc and forbid any games whose principal action is killing. there are people that says games don't kill people and there is lovetheavs420 who are so naive that they don't understand that all people are not equal, all families are not united, not all teens are happy and well adjusted (like you). There are a lot of teens with attitude problems due to broken homes, bad company, drugs, lack of communication. inferiority complexes, etc... whose only pastime are their adored video games that they use as an escape from reality and to vent their ac***ulated anger (be it towaards their parents, teachers or piers). these ill adjusted teenagers live in their own world and , like a tiger, will attack and kill whoever gets in the way between him and his loved videogame. The cases depicted here are only examples and they are real cases, not something out of a Sci-Fi movie, these teens inmerse themselves into their favorite videogame and identify themselves with the hero (most of the time they identify better with the badass and try to justify in their minds the crimes this badass is commiting or the way he cut heads or maim his adversaries). YES, SIR, violent video games deeply affect emotionally unstable teenagers making they live that fantasy on the videogame in real life with disastrous consecuences.
The heavy metal and rap industries must be loving this. lol. What is next to cause kids to flip out. ummmm how about taking responsibility for raising your damn kids. Get off your ass and stop letting a TV teach your kids their principles. Morons.
This is not right!!!!!! Whatever happened to the good old days when plumbers saved princesses and could kick butt and take names without the need to have a 6-foot gatling gun?!?!?!?!?!?
What a joke. Video Games don't kill people, people do. There is no excuse for this at all. Shame on the Dad for forgiving him. I play video games and I'm the most non-violent person I know. It helps that my Mom told me "you ever act out your video games in real life and I'll slap you silly!!"