Other Features   . It Couldn't Happen Here! Each new violent act brings greater horror than the last. It's time to face reality - and the solution.   . Parents in Fantasyland: Could your child be next? America's teens are suffering. If culture and entertainment contribute to the problem, what can make a difference?   . Destined to Win! What is our destiny in Jesus? TO WIN! Articles from the heart of Nicky Cruz intended to help you realize your potential in Jesus.

"I can trust my child to stay away from violent and pornographic information on the Internet."

 

	Fact:
		.	82% of teens said they used the Internet for e-mail, chat rooms and visiting web sites.
		.	44% had visited x-rated sites or those with sexual content.
		.	62% said their parents knew little or nothing about web sites they visited.
		.	43% of teens' parents have no rules whatsoever about how their teens use the Internet.

What parents should do:

	.	Use filters available through various servers.
	.	Monitor use of the Internet in your home.
	.	Limit the time your child or teens spends on the Internet.
	.	Limit e-mail to an approved list.
	.	Put your computer in a very public place where the screen can be easily seen.
	.	Monitor Internet use by reviewing e-mail and scanning web sites visited.
	.	Teach your teens to ignore and delete junk e-mail.

"My child is not affected by the violence and other negative examples they see on TV."

Fact:

	.	An average of 9.5 violent acts per hour appeared on prime time TV in 1989-90.
	.	Saturday morning network programming featured twenty violent acts per hour in 1989-90.
	.	By the age of 18, a typical child has witnessed an estimated 200,000 acts of violence, including 25,000 murders on TV.
	.	Most researchers believe TV violence results in desensitization to violence, encourages aggressive behavior and creates fearful attitudes in children and teens.

What parents should do:

	.	Begin teaching discernment at the earliest age possible.
	.	Decide what violence you will condone in your home.
	.	Screen all programs and movies and have the courage to turn the TV off if anything objectionable comes on.
	.	Know what videos your children and teens are watching as well as what their friends are watching.
	.	Don't allow the media to dominate family relationship time.
	.	Model good viewing habits.

"My child can discern the difference between fantasy and reality... any movie they see is just entertainment."

Fact:

	.	Movies are becoming more and more violent as production companies compete for their share of the very lucrative teen market.
	.	Evidence points to the fact that several of the shooters in recent school tragedies were greatly influenced and even modeled their behavior after violent "mainstream" movies.
	.	Parents cannot trust ratings alone to determine whether or not a movie is appropriate for their child or teenager to watch.
	.	Psychological research reveals that "visual violence" can have these effects on children and teens: copycat violence, desensitizes them to real-life violence, and stimulates them to commit impulsive, aggressive acts.

What parents should do:

	.	Watch the ratings, read the reviews and listen to what is being said about movies before you allow your child or teen to attend.
	.	If a movie is questionable, preview the movie or go with your child and be prepared to leave with them if the content is objectionable.
	.	Always be a good example - do not attend or rent any movie that you would not want your children to see.
	.	Know what videos your kids (and what videos their friends) are renting.

"Violent games are a harmless and innocent release of energy and aggression."

Oh really?
"There's an eerie likelihood that violent movies and violent games amplify one another - the film and television images placing thoughts of carnage into the psyche while the games condition the trigger finger to act on those impulses."
- Sep/Oct 1999, The Saturday Evening Post

"The murderer had never shot a handgun in his life," Thompson says. "Yet, as a fourteen-year-old obsessed with point-and-shoot video games, Michael Carneal walked into his school and opened fire. He fired eight shots; all shots found their mark. Five were head shots, the other three were upper torso shots. This is phenomenal marksmanship."
- July '99, American Spectator

Fact:

	.	Interactive video and computer games are the most popular forms of entertainment for teens.
	.	American kids with video games play them an average of 90 minutes each day.
	.	Violent games have progressed beyond the simple shooting of space ships and video creatures to virtual reality in which realistic people are targeted.
	.	Arkansas State University psychologist David Grossman states that "point and shoot" video games have the same effect as military strategies used to break down a soldier's aversion to killing.
	.	Far from simply providing a way to have fun and release tension, today's video games invite young people to become virtual, killing sociopaths.

What parents should do:

	.	Play the games your teens are playing.
	.	Find out what games they are playing with their friends.
	.	Eliminate games that are violent.
	.	Limit time spent playing games.
	.	Look for hidden violence and other related themes, such as the occult.

"Music and the accompanying pop culture is not influencing my child."

 

	Fact:
		.	Teens often spend as much as four to six hours a day listening to music.
		.	Music today is markedly more violent than ever before.
		.	Researchers state that music can influence young people as much as Television or movies.
		.	80% of older teens watch MTV, a network that provides a visual image of violent lyrics.
		.	Violent and profane lyrics desensitize young people and glamorize murder, rape and abuse.

What parents should do:

	.	Monitor and listen to music your teens are listening to.
	.	Read the lyrics of songs.
	.	Watch music videos with them.
	.	Educate yourself on the backgrounds of your teen's favorite music groups.
	.	Discuss objectionable songs and set limits for your teen.
	.	Encourage your teen to listen to Christian music.
	.	Know what your teen's friends are listening to.
	.	Pay attention to posters, notebooks, Web sites, tattoos, fan clubs and apparel.
	.	With your teen, destroy violent CDs and music videos.