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Group Issues Violent Toys List
By Patrice Dickens
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A toy robot that shoots missiles while defending a child's room and several violent video games were on a ``dirty dozen'' list released on Monday by a group that promotes nonviolent toys.
With the Sept. 11 attacks by hijacked airliners and war in Afghanistan (news - web sites) forming a backdrop to the holiday season, the Lion & Lamb Project also blacklisted a K'Nex construction toy that fires foam missiles.
``This holiday season, it is more important than ever for families to spend time together and to have fun together,'' said Daphne White, founder and executive director of the project.
As an alternative, Lion & Lamb recommended a ``Top 20 Toy List'' that included puppets, police, firemen and astronaut costumes.
The puppets and costumes enable children to play out their own fantasies instead of acting out plots given to them by adults, White said. The full lists can be found on the Internet at http://www.lionlamb.org.
Lion & Lamb contends that it is dangerous to market violent toys to children because children have difficulty separating fact from fantasy.
``Children are still children,'' White told a news conference. ``They cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality. That is why they still believe in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and monsters under the bed.''
Susan Villani, a child psychiatrist and assistant professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University, said the violence that children see on television and in video games does have an effect on them.
The child's language becomes rougher, Villani told reporters. In some cases, ``the child's language begins to sound like the package labels. 'I will smash you,''' Villani said.
But the Toy Industry Association (TIA) disagreed.
``Toys do not make a child violent,'' said TIA spokeswoman Terri Bartlett. ``Their environment, including their home and local surroundings are responsible for violence,'' she told Reuters.
Bartlett also said Lion & Lamb's message to abolish war toys was contradictory given that wars are taking place.
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Group Issues Violent Toys List
By Patrice Dickens
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A toy robot that shoots missiles while defending a child's room and several violent video games were on a ``dirty dozen'' list released on Monday by a group that promotes nonviolent toys.
With the Sept. 11 attacks by hijacked airliners and war in Afghanistan (news - web sites) forming a backdrop to the holiday season, the Lion & Lamb Project also blacklisted a K'Nex construction toy that fires foam missiles.
``This holiday season, it is more important than ever for families to spend time together and to have fun together,'' said Daphne White, founder and executive director of the project.
As an alternative, Lion & Lamb recommended a ``Top 20 Toy List'' that included puppets, police, firemen and astronaut costumes.
The puppets and costumes enable children to play out their own fantasies instead of acting out plots given to them by adults, White said. The full lists can be found on the Internet at http://www.lionlamb.org.
Lion & Lamb contends that it is dangerous to market violent toys to children because children have difficulty separating fact from fantasy.
``Children are still children,'' White told a news conference. ``They cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality. That is why they still believe in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and monsters under the bed.''
Susan Villani, a child psychiatrist and assistant professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University, said the violence that children see on television and in video games does have an effect on them.
The child's language becomes rougher, Villani told reporters. In some cases, ``the child's language begins to sound like the package labels. 'I will smash you,''' Villani said.
But the Toy Industry Association (TIA) disagreed.
``Toys do not make a child violent,'' said TIA spokeswoman Terri Bartlett. ``Their environment, including their home and local surroundings are responsible for violence,'' she told Reuters.
Bartlett also said Lion & Lamb's message to abolish war toys was contradictory given that wars are taking place.
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