In October 2006, a new PlayStation 2 game was released from Rockstar Games titled, Bully. This game has a rating of “T” for teen, which means that 13-year-old teenagers may purchase this videogame without parental permission. While this particular video game does not contain the violence and sexuality seen in many other games, it is about bullying behaviors in a school setting. This story line disturbed the VASP Executive Board, as it runs counter to our efforts to foster a safe climate for learning in our schools. An ad-hoc committee was formed to develop resource materials to educate parents.

VASP believes that we, as professional school psychologists, must communicate with our stakeholders the potential danger of video games. Please share the attached one-page parent education flyer with your parents and look forward to additional materials from VASP to support your efforts in the schools. If you wish to investigate the video game violence issue further, please see the resources listed below.