ST. WILFRID’S CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACADEMY
Acting Principal: Miss C Huddleston BA PGCE MBA
Duckworth Street, Blackburn, Lancashire BB2 2JR
Telephone: (01254 604000), Fax: (01254) 604004, Email: [email protected]
Website: www.saintwilfrids.co.uk
October 2013
Dear Parent or Guardian,
I am writing to share with you an issue brought to our attention by several parents from our
Academy. They have realised that as their children have played the newest version of the
computer game ‘Grand Theft Auto’ they have seen some shocking, highly sexualised scenes. They
were concerned that other parents may be not aware of this content.
The game is an ‘18’ certification which means by the nature of this categorisation the content may
include scenes of hard drug use, supernatural horror, explicit sex, sadistic violence or sexual
violence.
There is also a great deal of research indicating clear links that people who play violent computer
games such as ‘Grand Theft Auto’ or ‘Call of Duty’ are desensitized to violent events and are
more prone to aggressive behaviour. This of course is even more likely to be exaggerated in
children under 18. An interesting research article can be found on the internet
http://socialcogneurolab.missouri.edu/pdfs/CRE_BDB_GTK_BJB_inpress_JESP.pdf
You may also wish to do further research yourself on the topic of ‘neural de-sensitivity’.
I would like to urge you to think carefully about the access your child has to such games because,
as an Academy, we strive for behaviour that supports and cares for pupils and does not leave any
child with dampened emotional sympathy for the plights of others.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs S Stamford
Vice Principal
St. Wilfrid’s Church of England Academy is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales. Company Registration Number 7671404