Story of 14 year old boy who killed his mum

[Melusine]

I think it takes more than just watching a few horror films or playing a few shoot-em-up games to influence someone to do such things though.

What happened is terrible and tragic, and I don't want to seem to be trivialising any aspect of it, but it's a personal bugbear of mine that films, games and music are blamed and labelled as actual causes for tragic behaviour like this.

I could probably have been classed as 'obsessed' with horror films and violent games when I was growing up - I saw 'The Thing' when I was about nine, absolutely loved it - as could many of my friends, but I have/would never consider 'acting out' any violent scenarios or hurting anyone just because I saw some actor doing it and getting away with it.

Rather than laying blame on the fact Daniel watched Evil Dead films and Coronation Street, surely it would be in the interests of everyone to focus on the fact that mental health issues are not always easy to spot (I know Peridot said in her earlier post that apparently Daniel's school councillor said he was fine) but that they can occasionally have very real and devastating consequences if left unnoticed and untreated.

Sorry to waffle on, I just feel that more education about mental health issues, what help and support is available, and taking the stigma away from seeking help would be a better use of media column inches and airtime than pointing the finger of blame at a disturbed young man's DVD collection and preferred t.v soap opera.

My heart goes out to all involved, it's such terribly sad story.

[January]

I think it takes more than just watching a few horror films or playing a few shoot-em-up games to influence someone to do such things though.

What happened is terrible and tragic, and I don't want to seem to be trivialising any aspect of it, but it's a personal bugbear of mine that films, games and music are blamed and labelled as actual causes for tragic behaviour like this.

Watching violent films hasn't been labelled as a cause in isolation but taken in conjunction with other factors, the link has been quite well documented in various cases.

[Melusine]

Watching violent films hasn't been labelled as a cause in isolation but taken in conjunction with other factors, the link has been quite well documented in various cases.

I know, and I didn't intend to sound as if I thought it had been

It's just that I had seen coverage that implied it was the major contributing factor, and it seemed to be the snippet of information that many people (anecdotal - this is only my personal experience since the story was published) clung to and pinpointed as the 'reason' for what happened.

I'm over reacting, I know. I just wish that more would be done to draw attention to the need for comprehensive mental health awareness, alongside discussion about stricter controls over age-restricted products.
Apologies for not stating my point well, and coming across as overly snarky