And you though American Kids were bad

[Eldred]

British girls are among the most violent in the world, according to new research.

England and Scotland came fifth and sixth in a league table showing fighting among 11 to 15-year-old schoolgirls in 35 developed countries.

In both countries, almost a third had been involved in at least one physical fight in the previous year.

Concerns have been raised that Britain's "ladette" culture is fuelling such problems.

Dr Candace Currie, the director of the child and adolescent health research unit at Edinburgh University and co-author of the report, said the high level of fighting among girls in the UK worried her.

The average rate of girls' violence across all the countries was just 23 per cent, while worst-scoring Hungary was not far ahead of the English and Scottish on 32.1 per cent.

After that came Estonia, Lithuania and Belgium.

Wales fared slightly better in 12th place and a score of 24.6 per cent, while Finland did best with 13.3 per cent.

The study, which quizzed 161,082 pupils, found that while boys were more violent overall, British schoolboys were further down the table than their female counterparts.

Scottish boys fared worst, earning 10th place with a rate of 60.2 per cent, while those south of the border were not far behind in 13th, and a score of 59.2 per cent.

Welsh youngsters only came 26th, with 53.3 per cent of boys having been in a fight.

The researchers reported that girls were most likely to fight with friends and family members, while boys were much more likely to engage in violence with total strangers.

They said fighting among youngsters could be an sign that they would go on to be more violent, and called for a reduction in violent imagery in the media.

More research was also needed to address the growing problem, they added.

The study, by child health experts from Canada, Scotland, Poland, Israel and America and published in the journal of the American Academy of Paediatrics

[labbats]

That study just means there's more catfights, and thus much cooler schools.

Also, the students over there use their fists instead of bottling up all their anger and unleashing it with an assault rifle.

[Minrott]

I didn't realize any american kids had unleashed any rage with a Sturmgewehr 44.

[Captain Insano]

I think this is a good thing... better a few fist fights and bloody noses than having the kids come back to school with a linkin park cd and an AK.

[dammuzis]

throw in some mud and charge admission

[araby]

I have the meanest streak ever.

[Spazz]

They said fighting among youngsters could be an sign that they would go on to be more violent, and called for a reduction in violent imagery in the media

Does that statement offend anyone else ?

[Martrae]

Yes.

[Spazz]

Glad. I dont think rock music and violent games and tv create monsters i think thats done by bad parenting.

[Jay]

It's a combination of the 2.

Kid plays first person shooter. Parent neglects kid. Kid decides his friend is being a douche and that he should go frag him. Parent never instilled common sense into the kid AND left a gun in the house.

Kids don't get ideas like, hey, let's go shoot some folks out of thin air, that comes from violent programming and video games and movies etc etc. Not to say those things are bad, but they are responsible to a small degree. If there were no violent programming or gaming, would it have still happened? Maybe. Just in a differently inspired way.

[kaharthemad]

look here is a example. 1980 when a kid (age 12 years old) gets into an altercation with another kid at school my gym teacher made us stay after school put on boxing glove and we worked it out that way.

Now the gym teacher takes the kids to the counselor where she makes them tell her how they 'feel'

one gets the agression out of the way the other plays mood music and barry manilow music to get rid of it.

[Diekan]

It's a combination of the 2.

Kid plays first person shooter. Parent neglects kid. Kid decides his friend is being a douche and that he should go frag him. Parent never instilled common sense into the kid AND left a gun in the house.

Kids don't get ideas like, hey, let's go shoot some folks out of thin air, that comes from violent programming and video games and movies etc etc. Not to say those things are bad, but they are responsible to a small degree. If there were no violent programming or gaming, would it have still happened? Maybe. Just in a differently inspired way.

For once I agree with the SK.. It is a combination of the two. Just look at the Hip Hop culture for an example of the influence entertainment has on people.

[Eldred]

First I want to say that I'm not anti gun, I own 4 myself. But in many countries like England it's damn near impossible to get guns. In America I can buy a gun at fucking Walmart but I can't get a CD with swear words on them. America has some fucked up standards.

[DESX]

I dont think their is any connection at all what so ever that gaming increases violent behavior. I think it is solely based upon how your kids are raised if your kids are raised well and get at least spanked (none of this talking shit, it doesnt work you at least have to spank their ass once in a while) your kids will come out fine even if they watch violent media. For example my brother let his son like at age 5 or so play halo when it first came out... he loved it and now he is like 8-9 and plays halo 2. It's a rated M game, but I see no increased violent behavior, he has very good behavior, he is very responsible, good grades, particapates in various sports, very sociable, etc.

[Jay]

I dont think their is any connection at all what so ever that gaming increases violent behavior. I think it is solely based upon how your kids are raised if your kids are raised well and get at least spanked (none of this talking shit, it doesnt work you at least have to spank their ass once in a while) your kids will come out fine even if they watch violent media. For example my brother let his son like at age 5 or so play halo when it first came out... he loved it and now he is like 8-9 and plays halo 2. It's a rated M game, but I see no increased violent behavior, he has very good behavior, he is very responsible, good grades, particapates in various sports, very sociable, etc.

Take kids who are neglected and not exposed to violent programming or violence at all. Most of the time they cower into a corner and are scared of everything that moves. Take the same kid and put him in front of violent programming and games. He'll start getting ideas. Bad parenting is responsible, but to a small degree so is the programming. Good parenting will create an atmosphere where the child will easily differentiate between reality and fiction, right and wrong, thus playing contra will not make the kid want to go shoot people. With common sense and decent parenting kids can sit there and watch the Die Hard Trilogy while playing counterstrike and still not exhibit any violent behavior.

8 times out of 10, bad parenting is to blame. 2 times out of 10, exposure to violence will cause violence as a biproduct of both the parenting and the programming.

[Donnel]

Connection does not beget causality.

Kids who play doom shoot up school.

So do kids who don't play doom.

[Martrae]

Kids who's parents both work insane hours and expect the Xbox to babysit shoot up schools.

[Donnel]

So do kids who's parents are both loving, supportive and their all the time who just gets picked on one too many times.

[Zanchief]

Kids who's parents both work insane hours and expect the Xbox to babysit shoot up schools.

And if that same kid didn't have an X-box and was outside throwing rocks at cats, you think he would be any better?

Video games aren't too blame.

[Jay]

No but they're part of it. It's not necessarily video games, TV or rocks at cats, it's environment and either one of those things can contribute to a violent environment.

[Martrae]

My point was about kids that don't have parent's around much not the Xbox. The Xbox (or TV or anything else that gives kids a skewed reality) doesn't affect kids whose parents show them reality vs. falsehood.

Donnel, show me an example of a kid who's parents were there that shot up a school.

[Donnel]

Short sighted response on my part (backpeddle a bit)

But there's no reason to think that it couldn't happen. Well adjusted kids are less likely to shoot up schools, granted.

Doesn't mean it couldn't happen, and my point earlier still stands:

A connection does not beget causality.

You can't say, kids who raise themselves on the x-box will shoot up school, neither can you say kids who are in loving homes won't.

Personal responsibility is what is lacking in alot of areas in everyday life. This is another of those areas in my opinion.

[ClakarEQ]

I didn't read all these and this will be very Mindiaesk of me to say.

But the increaseing number of athiests is also to blame (MO of course). Sort of like, if you just become worm food, WTF is the big deal fraging some dick that did me wrong. The civilized criminal system is in no way enough of a threat to make someone double check a thought. However if someone is religious, truely religious and not just for show, I'd bet their upbringing would make it difficult to even concieve some of the thoughts kids think today.

Religion has always been a reason (man made or "true", take your pick, it won't matter), to treat another well, to turn cheek, etc (yes I'm talking christanity and most non-radical religions). Religion breeds respect for another even if they are not of the same religion as you.

While parents are at most to blame, the lack of religion in your common household today is also an issue.

BTW I'm not talking about going to church to keep up with the Jones's I'm talking about the thought of having a place to go when you die and how you would be judged through this material life. (O I can only await the flamage I've brung upon myself)

It would be just another thing to add to the list I suppose.

O and just for mindia, all you athiests are going to hell

How wonderful the world would be if we could just respect one another (please keep any flames towards me at bay if you're going to bring up some BS radical religious post / link / etc. I'm not speaking towards radicals that make up some miniscule amount of the religous world).

For those that truly believe in their religion, there is a reason to act a certain way.

Can I get an amen brothers and sisters.

[Zanchief]

I'm so tired of arguing the same damn thing over and over again on this board.

[ClakarEQ]

I'm sorry Zan, I don't want it to go derailed, I'll delete if you like, just for you