MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
A television psychologist best known for her work on BBC TV’s The House Of Tiny Tearaways is to spearhead the Government’s review of the availability of violent video games.
Dr. Tanya Byron will talk to both parents and the interactive entertainment industry before reporting her findings to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Children Schools and Families.
She will also tackle the issue of children’s access to pornographic and violent material on the internet.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown announce details of the review
.
According to the
, Dr Byron said it was essential that children’s use of the internet was made "positive and safe".
Dr Byron, a mother of two, said: "The internet is a powerful and positive tool for children in terms of their learning and ongoing development.
"However, we must all enable our children to use the possibility presented by the internet in a way that is both positive and safe.
"Therefore it is essential that parents and anyone involved in the care and development of young people are familiar with the material they will access and view – and of the potential and actual risks therein."
Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls added: "Children and young people have faster, easier and more immediate access to online information than ever before."
He said the review was not about "stopping children having fun" or benefiting from the internet, but added: "It is about making sure they can do so safely, as far as possible, without being exposed to harmful or inappropriate material."
