I'm not sure what to think of this:
QUOTE
According to research on the effects of violent media, the ESRB may have parts of its ratings system backward! One of the predictors of which violent media are likely to result in violent real-world behavior is material that does not show the realistic negative consequences of violence, such as pain, suffering and blood.19 Violent video games that are rated M are more likely to show those negative consequences. Those that are rated T or E achieve such lower ratings in part by not showing those negative consequences: dead bodies just disappear; blood is animated rather than realistic. Also, those games in which the player is rewarded with extra points for avoiding a violent confrontation (e.g., the SWAT series) are given the same M rating as those games in which the player is given extra points for piling up virtual corpses.
Apply this to the MPAA, and Star Wars gets a higher rating than Saving Private Ryan since it doesn't depict as much pain or gore. And what about Bugs Bunny? That must be the worst of them all!
Anyway, as far as I know, Cops and Robbers (or Cowboys and Indians) was a popular game with children far before videogames or even tabletop RPG's. I don't understand why anyone would be shocked by the prospect of kids enjoying imaginary violence.