Tag Archives: violence

Top Ten Video Games

If you had to choose the ten greatest video games of all time, which ones would you choose? Would they be childhood favorites, or more modern cutting edge games? or perhaps it would be a mixture of both. Andy McNamara, the editor-in-Chief of the magazine, Game Information, was asked by a local Pittsburgh, Pa television station what his top picks would be. Game Information is tha largest video game magazine in the entire country. McNamara’s picks span through the years and through the platforms. From the Arcade system to the PC, his seems to have covered all of the basis. … Continue reading →

Do You Support Zero Tolerance?

Many schools have adopted zero tolerance rules. Zero tolerance means that no exceptions are allowed and all cases are treated with the same seriousness. Since zero tolerance rules were placed, there have been many discussions and controversies over whether or not the rule is fair. Most zero tolerance rules deal with violence and drugs. Deciding if zero tolerance is a good policy or a bad policy is a hard decision. While most of us think that there should be no exceptions for violence or drugs at school, there are some unique cases to consider. When most people think of drugs … Continue reading →

What Really Happens When Adopted Kids Grow Up?

It’s a fear that creeps into most parents’ minds occasionally, and perhaps a bit more often for adoptive parents: “What if my kid turns out to be a totally messed-up adult?” It’s awfully hard to imagine a sweet-faced, affectionate five-year-old as an out-of-control teen or an embittered and estranged young adult. Yet, sometimes we meet caring parents whose teens have fallen into drug abuse, or sweet elderly neighbors whose children never visit, or a couple celebrating their 60th anniversary whose children have each been divorced three times. Thus we have two opposing voices in our heads. Usually the one that … Continue reading →

The Indian in the Cupboard

I was pretty excited to watch this film. The premise sounded interesting – a boy gets a cupboard as a birthday gift, and finds that whenever he puts a toy in it, that toy comes to life. Sounds pretty cute and innocent, right? Oh, I was so wrong. In the first place, the movie took forever to get going, and actually was pretty slow all the way through. That was one strike against it. But it continued disappointing me from there. At one point, the boy, named Omri, brought an old Indian toy to life, and he was so afraid … Continue reading →

Week in Review: Faith to Black Friday

This week I talked about what faith is as defined in the Bible, whether or not there is ever a time to be violent, the importance of taking a time for rest in our week to recuperate, and what I learned the day after Thanksgiving while braving the mall early in the morning. In my Faith Is… blog, I define “faith” as stated in the Bible as well as give examples of Biblical characters of great faith. The Bible is full of scriptures regarding faith and the importance of applying it in our own lives. Is There Ever A Time … Continue reading →

Is There Ever a Time to Be Violent?

Many Christians have asked themselves this very question. While in the midst of a war, I’ve heard other Christians bring up the question, “Do you really think Jesus agrees with the violence? What would Jesus do?” If we believe what the Bible says about Jesus in Colossians 2:9, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Then we can look back through the Bible and read, even from the Old Testament, the character of God. The instruction God gave the children of Israel to claim their promised land might have some people questioning the gentle heart of … Continue reading →

Helping Your Child Stand Up To Bullies

Unfortunately bullies are common in the lives of many children. I know that my own son has been bullied. Bullies use fear and often a larger size to get away with tormenting others. Bullying can be physical like kicking and tripping or more emotional like gossiping and exclusion. Children who are bullies have little empathy and enjoy dominating others. They have a positive attitude toward aggression and are often impulsive. A bully can be a boy or a girl, although their methods usually differ. Bullies usually pick on those that can’t or won’t protect themselves. So here are some ways … Continue reading →

Parents Can Control The Video Games Their Child Plays

Video game violence is a hot topic in today’s news and parent’s everywhere are tuning in with questions and concerns of their own. Recognizing the concern Microsoft has launched a new campaign titled “Safety Is No Game. Is Your Family Set?” The goal of the campaign is to educate parents about the video game ratings system and the Xbox 360 parental controls. At the Xbox website parents can learn about how to use the parental controls. With the parental controls parents can restrict their child from accessing Xbox Live, the Vision camera, and games beyond a certain rating. If the … Continue reading →

Video Game Bill Passed In The Senate

With all of the recent information about the effect of violence in video games upon children (see my blog Does Violence In Video Games Affect Children?) the Senate has initiated a bill mandating that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conduct an investigation into video games backed by both Republicans and Democrats. The Children and Media Research and Advancement Act’s (CAMRA) goal is to “examine the role and positive and negative impact of electronic media in children’s and adolescents’ cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and behavior development.” It also directs the awarding of grants for research into the affects of … Continue reading →

Teen Dating Safety

Violence among dating relationships has increased greatly in recent years with one in three teenagers experiencing some form of dating violence. (See my blog Teen Dating Violence: A Serious Problem.) So as a parent how you help protect your teenager from dating violence and teach them that violence is not appropriate in relationships? First decide at what age you will allow your child to date. Then when your child does begin dating set up some dating guidelines and encourage your child to use these guidelines. Possible dating guidelines could be: Double-date the first few dates Let your parents know your … Continue reading →