Searching for answers on video-game violence

I’m not a sociologist, but I’m pretty sure that Joel Stein was asking the wrong question of the wrong subject in his column, “Sex, boys and video games” (Opinion, Jan. 31). Shouldn’t we be asking girls if they are offended that boys are jazzed about acting out violence against women?

I am sure video-game makers would cringe at the suggestion of anyone researching the behavioral effects of their moneymakers. Who knows what results from boys partaking of a consistent diet of violent movies, video games and music? It might, as Stein suggests, just be an act of curiosity. Or, maybe said 17-year-old isn’t offended because his threshold for what is offensive and unacceptable has been significantly lowered. How do we know for sure?

Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo’s lawsuit (against the maker of the “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” video game for failing to disclose its “pornographic” content) might not be the right action. But if it does anything, I hope it precipitates more dialogue on an issue we need to know more about.

MAYA THORNELL-SANDIFOR

Senior Communications Officer

Women’s Foundation

of California, San Francisco