Life is not a video game

What’s going on that at least once a week there’s news of young people beating, sexually abusing or killing their fellow youngsters? Have parents lost control of their children because they tried to make life easier for them? Or is something else going on?

Admittedly, some of the beatings and killings are gang-related, but it seems that a lot of the violent behavior isn’t. There are as many different reasons for the violence as there are incidents.

It used to be that the types of violence we’re now reading and hearing about occurred in urban, poverty-stricken areas. Now we learn that young-on-young violence takes place in middle- and upper-class neighborhoods in suburbia and rural communities.

Two other phenomena are female-on-female crimes and the groups exacting the violence are racially mixed.

In late September, there was national outrage over the killing of a high school honor student in Chicago. About a month later, the nation learned of the gang rape of a 15-year-old high school student in Richmond, Calif. The next day, it was reported that a 15 year-old Missouri girl killed a 9-year-old girl.

The Chicago killing occurred during daylight and was caught on tape. Violence in Chicago’s public schools occurs so frequently that it’s almost become a way of life. This killing has caused a public backlash.

Students, and their parents, are worried about the safety of attending Chicago public schools. City police began a crackdown and have made arrests in the case.

In California it’s reported that at least 12 (and as many as 20) other youngsters witnessed the rape and beating of a 15-year-old girl as she left a homecoming dance. It’s also alleged that some might have taken an active role in the assault but nobody attempted to help her or call the police. Police have made seven arrests so far with more to come.

The 9-year-old murder victim disappeared while on her way home from visiting a friend. After being reported missing, police looked for her for two days. Upon receiving (presumably, anonymously) a handwritten note directing them to the teen, the 15-year-old led authorities to the child’s body. The teen was arrested and police plan to charge her with first-degree murder. So far no motive has been given.

There aren’t any obvious answers.

I think one reason is young peoples’ obsession with video games. The games are so full of action and violence that children become immune to the feelings of pain, suffering and guilt normally associated with beatings and killings.

I’ve read that our Armed Forces are using video games to train our service men and women. The services’ experts believe video games actually help pilot trainees develop good hand-to-eye coordination.

What no one realizes is that video games also make death seem painless. Children spending hours playing these games don’t get a sense of loss or remorse.

Nelson Graves, of Augusta County, is a columnist for The News Virginian. E-mail him at