From article on
http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/feature--talking-with-the-antibullies-193472.phpFrom the Site
John Carnell, the 25-year-old founder of Bullying Online, was asked some questions about his group's opposition to the game Bully. Bullying Online is one of the UK's largest non-profit anti-bullying groups there and
have lead the opposition to the game in Europe.I'll bring you the best bits from the interview on the site
Before I go along remeber that the reason people apose Bully is the fears that the game will insight the acts of Bullying on helpless kids ok :wink: Now lets know a little about who this geek :twisted: Is
[thats him]
JC- My name is John Carnell, 25, and I am the founder and project manager at Bullying Online which I co-founded after my own experience of being
bullied at school. I work full time for the charity (non-profit organisation) developing our projects and working towards a greater use of technology to tackle the issues associated with bullying, I'm an avid gamer and play pretty much anything from MMO's to RTS and yes I've got a lvl 60 warrior on WOW :-)*Yeah Wow :roll: but moving on to the QuestionsBC: Why are you opposed to Bully?JC: School bullying is not fun and the damage that it does to young minds can last for many many years. In the UK up to 20 young people kill themselves every year due to school bullying but this figure may be much higher as coroners often record open verdicts if there was any doubt that the person intended to kill themselves.BC: When you first came out against Bully, the only thing you could have known came from the one sentence press release, title and three images, were you worried you didn't have all of the facts?JC: We did ask Rockstar a number of times to provide a better outline of the game and where possible to supply us with code we could review to have a better informed opinion WE ARE STILL WAITING!!!! Based on the information that has come to light over the last few days our position hasn't changed, we still feel that any game featuring bullying is unacceptable. The screenshot they released last year showed one youth kicking another, in the UK someone doing that would be committing an assault and could end up with a criminal record.BC: Now that you have read more about the game, do you feel any differently?JC: If anything our motivation to speak out about this game is even stronger given that many in the game press have commented that Rockstar appear to be going for a Teen rating on Bully. We don't think this is a suitable game for teenagers. Schools in the UK have discipline problems and a game showing young people misbehaving isn't going to do anything to help teachers deal with unruly behaviour[the last line about teachers and ass hole kids is true]BC: Do you think that playing a video game can have a direct impact on behavior? If so why?JC: I think that in some cases it can. Sadly some young people will get the impression that it is OK to act out things they have done in a video game in real life believing that its acceptable and normal behaviour. This is an issue for society but it's an issue that isn't made any easier by games like Bully. In the UK a few years ago we had many complaints that children as young as five were being hurt in the school playground by other young children who were practising Wrestling moves on them which they had seen on TV so clearly children can be influenced by what they watch.*BC: In the U.S., a big issue is the whether a video game, or any form of expression, should be censored. While Bully may not be the defining game of the industry, some have likened its trials with that of James Joyce Ulysses, a book banned because of it's sexual content. Are you worried that banning a game could result in a chilling effect on future game development, that it could lead to a suppression of ideas and thoughts?JC: As a games player myself I would hope that games developers take note that some subjects just SHOULD NOT be touched. Would a games developer ever do a game where you are rewarded for rape or sexual assault? I would hope not as they would realise that it's crossing a line which would disgust decent society. The same goes for school bullying, it's a subject that should just be left well alone it affects too many people in a negative way.[The guy is sounding a bit wimpy here, would he condemn a graphic movie..Or porn Vid, I think not..what person would]BC: Why not just rely on parents and the ratings system and enforcement of that system to prohibit the game from getting into the wrong handsJC: That's simple because parents are not well informed enough about what their kids play. Little Timmy 
might borrow the game from a friend and just not bother telling his parents he is playing it. Sure it's up to parents to stay informed but in reality that just isn't going to happen in the short term. Hopefully my generation as it raises children will be much more switched on and take a deeper interest as we understand games in a way our parents never will.This is the Important bitJC: As for the ratings system I believe it's deeply flawed and doesn't inform parents that do take an interest well enough. When was the last time a game was delayed because the ratings board deemed some of its content unacceptable? Never to my knowledge.BC: When the game was first announced, the House of Commons took it up in the UK and there was a call for the game to be banned in the UK. Do you know if that issue has come up again with this week's news of the game's release?JC: The UK Parliment is on holiday recess until the Autumn but we will be raising the issue at the first opportunity when they are back in session and will be calling for an open debate on the issue so that all MPs can make an informed choice if they want society to be exposed to this gameBC: Does you group plan to take any action, like picketing, protesting or boycotting the game?JC: We will continue to protest in a reasoned and measured way through the media but we don't go in for picketing stores. *BC: Is your group opposed to other games with violent content like Halo or Call of Duty? If not, why single out Bully?JC: I wouldn't classify Halo, COD, Half life or any of the other FPS games in the same league as Bully as they deal with fantasy themed violence. Last time I checked the hordes of hell weren't wandering around our schools. Our main issue with Bully is that it depicts a real world problem that affects real lives and turns the subject into a fun past time.BC: Is there anything else you'd like to add?JC:I would like to say thanks for the opportunity to put our point across, I would like to add that we are not a vociferous Jack Thompson organisation, we reflect the views of the many thousands of people that email us every year suffering at the hands of school bullies. The education systems worldwide have a hard enough job without having to educate against this sort of game.[Good on ya, that wakko sucks!]This is his site
http://www.bullying.co.ukIf things get serious :shock: with Bully in the UK, I'll ask him to come here and debate with us, In a adult way please..
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