videoludica. game culture 

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Transcripts of the parliamentary discussion on violent videogames on November 16 2006 - Rome Italy - translation by Matteo Bittanti

On November 16, 2006, the representatives of the Italian Chamber gathered to discuss how to stop the sale of violent videogames in Italy. The discussion was prompted by an article written by Guido Castellano and published on Panorama on November 10 2006 in which the journalists uncovered the "horrors" of Rule of the Rose, a game produced by Sony of Japan but distributed in Italy and in Europe by 505 Game Street.

What follows are the full transcripts of that discussion. I apologize for the quality of the translation. Transcribing speeches is not easy and, to be honest, in many cases the original talks were hard to understand even in Italian. Nonetheless, I tried to be as faithful to the source as possible: I can guarantee that I have not modified, altered or changed the statements made by the politicians in any way.

The videos of the debate are available here (in Italian)

For your convenience, this document is available in PDF form as well (at the bottom right of this page, as an attachment).

Background information and comments on this issue are available here.

I encourage the readers to spread the word.




Clemente Mastella (Italy's Minister of Justice)
Mastella on Wikipedia
"I am outraged by the level of heinousness and vileness that videogames display. These games end up in hands of kids and teenagers. We do not need massive doses of horror to entertain our kids. And I believe that the youngsters have the right to be shielded from violence and to benefit from an education that promotes the civic values. This is why I agree that it is necessary to act now to contain the damage, to stop useless, inadequate elements of commercialization. This should have been done a long time ago. It has not been done, so the rotten plant has spread. I guess I need to report what the Italian Association of Videogame Software (AESVI) has said in regards to the game Rule of the Rose - the game that prompted this discussion - a game produced in Japan, and whose imminent release in Italy was communicated by the newsmagazine Panorama. "This videogame - argues the AESVI - is indeed a horror game, but it does not promote perversion and morbid violence. The episode of the burial of the girl - says this Association - it is simply a dream that preempt an adventure in space"... "Sic", as the youngsters would say. "This video (sic) has been classified by the PEG (sic), the European classification System as suitable for users of 16 year old of age and older". Such classification of videos (sic) has been confirmed by another classification board, the Video Standard Board, that monitors in depth all the scenes, including the possible subliminal messages that might be included. This is, clearly, a form of European regulation that has been established by the game makers themselves, and it only works as a suggestion, it is not, by all means, prescriptive. The very fact that this game is considered suitable for users of 16 year old and older or 18+ unfortunately does not stop the sale of such games to minors. Our judiciary system can act, removing the game from the shelves only if an abuse takes place, for instance, if it is considered a clear instigation to violence. Apropos, I would like to remind you that recently the penalties for the detention of virtual pornographic material (sic) have been increased [Mastella mentions the article, NdT]. From now on, the host provider is considered responsible, not only for ownership and use of said material, but also in case that the pornographic material is divulged in virtual form, that is, via the net or chat. However, I must admit that, until today, the legislator has never sanctioned the producers of such products in which the minor are subjected by violence by adults. It must be added that the vast majority of games available on the market are intrinsically marked by sheer violence. Said violence could be stopped when it degenerates in torture and sadism (both physical and psychological). The parliament wishes to move in this direction, along with other members of the government and ministers, in order to establish a preemptive control on such videogames, before they reach the market, so that we could easily identify and neutralize those that carry an intolerable amount of violence. So our intervention has to be preemptive as it would be totally useless to act after the effects of such games have already taken place. I believe that by inflicting punitive laws - laws that I consider indispensable - both on the administrative and commercial parties involved, we can stop these games from reaching the market. These laws can act as a form of deterrence. At the same time I hope - as suggested by the President of the Committee for Childhood (Anna Serafini, NdT) that it would be useful to create a committee that is in charge of establishing the standards of games, both in terms of content and in terms of their legality, that is, establishing the rules pertaining to the sale of such games to minors. I believe that, in addition to what we can do here in Italy, it is necessary to act in concordance with our European partners, so that we can reach a common agreement on this matter. It is my intention and those of the government to act immediately. At this point, I will listen o your suggestions and I will also consider the many letters that we have received from educators, members of the media, and other politicians.


Dorina Bianchi (Ulivo - The Olive Tree Party)
Bianchi on Wikipedia
I would like to thank the Minister Mastella for his pressing report, and I also appreciate the decision by the Minister of Education Fioroni to act as a civil part for the disable student who was bullied and filmed by his peers. An important gesture - I believe it is crucial that kids learn the importance of legality and to say not to abuses. Today, our kids are becoming - as we see on televised newscasts and on newspapers - the instigators of violence on other peers. I believe that this violence is directly connected to the indiscriminate use of videogames. This is a new form of addiction, one of the most insidious examples of addiction, one that is caused by the prolonged use of videogames. It is an industry that keeps on growing [she quotes some statistical data from 2004, she concludes that the vast majority of kids play games, NdT] Because of this, because of the sheer number of kids that constantly approach videogames, we need to do some serious thinking. I do not want, however, to demonize the phenomenon: the use of videogame could be turned into an opportunity for learning, due to their interactive and multimedia nature that allow for a deep involvement. However, in the last few years, we have witnessed a dramatic rise in the production and distribution of violent videogames, whose potentially traumatic effects on the youngsters' personality, in particular during the delicate phase of passage between childhood and adolescence, should not be underestimated. There is the risk that [violent videogames] will produce precocious adults, by developing only the aggressive traits of their psyche and disrupting the normal processes of their physiological development. These are not the best grounds for a future of tolerance and respect. However, the government does not have at this point scientific evidence on the effects of such violent images on the children's psyche. And this is an aspect that we should investigate. However, as a mother, I can tell you this, I can describe to you the image that I often see when a child is playing a videogame. A state of strong emotional participation that leads to a complete alienation from the external world. The kid is completely mesmerized by the images that appear in front of his eyes. His gestures and comments at the end of the session closely resemble those of the game itself. Based on this personal experience alone, we should act now, because we understand that the kids need attention in a crucial moment of their formative years. Attention is the key word, because the conspicuous use of videogames could simply be a symptom of a situation of discomfort that the child is unable to express differently. This is where the role of parents - as guidance and listeners - becomes central. As they teach the kids how to cross the street, they should also teach them how to play a videogame. Kids need to be supported and encouraged. They also need to be guided in their shopping activities. The repressive approach on buying games can only be the first step of a broader action. We need to study the consequences of game playing on kids and understand the effects of the videogame images on the cognitive and formative processes of our children,


Luigi Vitali (Forza Italia - Go Italy)
Vitali's official website, no Wikipedia's entry
I would also like to thank Minister Mastella for the alacrity in reporting this case to the Chamber this morning and also for his support for an episode that demands our attention. This frantic life is presenting us with abominable episodes, episodes that are likely to be rooted in the ludic, recreational, playful activities of our children and teenagers. I am truly convinced that these episodes require a direct intervention, not only from the government, but also from the Parliament, from the Institutions and Authorities, from the School. We need to launch a campaign directed to the parents because there are some parents that seem unaware of the problem, as some of them tend to act only when it is too late. We are witnessing, nowadays, the glorification of such characters as the "tough guy", "the bully", "the vicious", those who abuse other peers. We are aware that there is an European law on this matter, thus the (Italian) government can raise this issue with other members of the European Union in order to collectively rethink and rewrite the laws that allow software houses and publishers to produce such games. We could have a round table with other ministers - the minister of Education, Industry, Justice, Public Education and Interior- to write letters and recommendations relating to not only the production of these games but also the distribution, sale and ownership. We can study ways to make it harder - if not impossible - for children and teenagers to get access to these games that most certainly play a major role during their formative years, on their psyche. I do not believe that specific studies are necessary - these studies are certainly important for their for their own good and could be of use of the legislators. However, common sense and everyday life experience tell us that these games are damaging our children. Kids' access to these games cannot be good. I don't think that anybody, today, has the solution to this unfortunate issue; however is it crucial that we all acknowledge the magnitude of this problem. And I believe that the parliamentary commission must begin to investigate this issue in depth in order to create laws that can stand to the challenges of our age, laws that will allow us to defeat this sort of phenomena. Unfortunately, the legislator's times are long because the law requires long term thinking and a deep understanding of the the problems. However, I am convinced that we need to intervene now, and intervene fast. It is not enough to acknowledge the existence of the problem, we must act now. We need to be pro-active, to fill up the gaps and amend laws that are outdated in this age of technological advances. I wish that in the next few days or weeks the government will act to shield our children from these games, making impossible for kids to get access to these products.


Maria Germontani Ida (Alleanza Nazionale - National Alliance)
Germontani on Wikipedia
Thank you, President and Minister. Just a few days ago, Guido Castellano has disclosed on La Repubblica (sic) this new videogame that will be soon introduced in our country, on November 24 2006, right before Christmas (sic). I have immediately asked the Minister for the Family, Mrs. Rosy Bindi, to urgently intervene in this matter and to ban the sale of horror games in this country, horror games based on sadism, and violence, games that are directed to vulnerable players such as kids, games that promote violence and hatred. The videogame Rule of the Rose, the last of the series (sic), is replete with homosexual and sadistic references, and features girls as main characters that perpetuate violence - both physical and physiological - on her peers. Rule of the Rose is just the latest of a series of games that one can find on the shelves of major Italian stores. I would like to remind you all about a game introduced last year, in which they player was required to rape and kill prostitutes in order to gain a bonus. We should not be surprised, then, if this virtual hatred has led our children to forget the real values. In fact, we are witnessing these days in the proliferation of episodes of youth-related violence. Young kids are bullying their peers - as in the video in which a disable kid is beaten up and filmed by his classmates. The authorities have to act now and I personally thank you, Minister, for being here today. We certainly do not need additional doses of horror for our kids to be entertained. The article on Panorama has emphasized how easy it is for our kids to buy these games, even when these games are intended for minors (sic). For this reason, we must act now by punishing those dishonest sellers that have no conscience when it comes to make a cheap buck. I wonder how could such a video (sic) being available for sale so easily, without any form of control. Recently, Professor Sorrentino, a famed neurologist, has made a frightening analysis, concluding that in Italy the phenomenon of pedophobia, that is, the phobia of our own children has risen to new heights. So many grown ups today fear the reactions of their kids, kids that at twelve have already become a menace. Because they feed on violent fantasies, kids have become bonsai-adults (sic), highly aggressive, and not only verbally. What we are discussing today, Minister, has to be understood in a wider context, a context that we, the National Alliance party, have stigmatized in the past, that is, shows that encourage transgression an glorify characters that have a negative influence, characters that promote vulgarity, aggression, and also profanities. The National Alliance has, for a long time, raised this issue, and we have encouraged (TV networks) to broadcast positive images for the youngsters and to reaffirm positive values such as the importance of the family, of love, of mutual respect, of real emotions. We are gathered here today to discuss a phenomenon that has risen to preoccupying levels. We are here to discuss this fact in a room where, only yesterday, we have witnessed a shameful episode. We cannot keep to infringing the rules when we should instead try to put the pieces of society back together. It is urgent that we act now, because today's kids are emulating adults, the same adults that, for many years, have played a negative influence, as we have many times lamented and we are lamenting now. It is necessary your intervention, Minister, because I am asking you to act to prohibit in any possible way the production, distribution, and sale of these videogames in our country. And we also need to be vigilant, along with the police forces, so that the laws will be upheld, to stop these games from reaching the market. We need to monitor the content of these games and dictate precise rules regarding the sale of videogames to minors. This is something that you need to do, along with the Minister of the Family, the Minister of Communications... By the way, what is the Committee for Television, Media and Internet doing these days? It is part of the Minister of Communications...This is also something that the Minister of Labor and Equal Opportunities and the Bicameral Commission for Childhood should take care of as well. This is what we are asking.


Titti De Simone (Rifondazione Comunista - Sinistra Europea; Communist Party, European Left)
De Simone on Wikipedia
Thank you, Mrs. President. I believe that when we engage in this kind of discussions, we should go for more concrete approach, less demagogical, possibly, and less hypocritical. I've heard many things this morning... I believe that we cannot go very far if we do not take into consideration that behind these products lie considerable profits... That there is a market that is shamefully exploiting these kinds of products... That violence has become a major form of profit for the market...For entire industries that promote these provoking messages... Messages that cannot be contained within the frame of a screen... That there are collective social responsibilities here, serious responsibilities... That the social, collective violence is repeated in these cultural products. It is exactly the collective social violence that we should be investigating because the virtual is somehow reproducing the real, and these two levels are somehow overlapping, until one cannot distinguish them any longer, (creating) a dramatic game that the Authorities, society at large and the school should scrutinize. But we need to be serious about this... We need to consider, for instance, what we see by simply turning on the television... Do we realize how bad our television is? Do we realize that we are broadcasting trash 24 hours per day? Do we realize what kind of messages a reality tv show is promoting? What kind of submissive, degraded behaviors and relationships are we enforcing through our screens? Therefore, we need to be careful because all of this has nothing to do with the world of kids and minors, but has everything to do with the world of adults. It is adults, in fact, who are producing this collective social violence, it is the adults who are in charge of the market and are exploiting and promoting these messages. Thus, it is the world of adults we should be monitoring, and this is why we are here today. We surely appreciate the initiative launched by the government, by the Minister Mastella, but also by the Minister (of Education) Fioroni that is being discussed, and the initiative launched by the President of the Chamber, Bertinotti, that has asked for a commission that will monitor the contents of cultural products. Finally, somebody is taking a concrete approach to an issue that has been ignored for such a long time, a problem that is certainly marginal to the world of kids as a whole, but that cannot be ignored nonetheless. We should not be surprised by the fact that teenagers are engaging in violent behavior, because they are simply reproducing the collective social violence. I was shocked, like all of us, of the videoclip that appeared on the internet of a disable kid being beaten up by his classmates, classmates who concluded the atrocious act with a Nazi salute. The historical connections are clear, we should not forget that between 200,000 and 300,000 disable men and women were slaughtered in concentration camps, and we should not ignore that these messages are also used in cultural products intended for exploitation and profits. Thus, we need to investigate the causes and origins of this violence, and we need to find the social and cultural antidotes. The violence against the Other, the marginalization of the Other, e.g. disable, immigrants, homosexuals, lesbians, transsexuals... Only yesterday, the walls of a Roman high school were "adorned" with anti-homosexual graffiti, and violent messages against lesbian students that attend that school. These are everyday life problems, and we need to come up with a social and cultural strategy to solve them. We need a different, open approach... To defeat bullying and violence in our school .


Luca Volonte' (Unione dei Democratici Cristiani e dei Democristiani di Centro - Union of the Christian Democrats and Center Christian Democrats)
Volonte' on Wikipedia
I would like to thank you Mrs. President, colleagues, and, you, Minister. I would like to introduce a topic that is related to the ones presented by my colleagues. This topic is education, that is, the education of the parents. As Mrs. De Simone argued, there is undoubtedly a relationship between the violence depicted in these games and the real life violence. And there is no doubt that there is a market out there exploiting these forms of violence, but the relationship goes two ways. There is violence depicted by games and there is violence induced by games, if we can call videogames these products that are literally teaching our kids to become criminals. These games teach kids how to become violent, as proven by the dramatic episode that happened in Milan (i.e. the beating and filming of the disable student, NdT). I would like to mention another episode that has not been discussed by the national media but only by the local media. I am referring to the fact that some kids who were playing this game, the so-called game Bully, in which young teenagers earn points by beating up their classmates, disable or not, their younger brothers and the elderly. Well, the next day, in a school of Ferrara, a girl was beaten up because she showed some attention to a kid. She was not simply beaten up, but the act was filmed and then sent to all the classmates. If we also take into consideration that, as the newspapers told us, that soon another game will soon reach the market, Rule of the Rose, where the rules of the rose are not to be intended in a symbolic way, as something beautiful, but as an instruction to bury alive a young girl in a coffin... Now, I hope that the government will follow up the auspices of Minister Mastella to put an end to all of this, by creating and enforcing preemptive and punitive laws, so that we could avoid that these products reach the market. We need to discuss this with our European partners. I am perplexed by the idea of creating yet another committee, because I believe that the government should devise an ad hoc legislation, considering the urgency of this matter. On the other hand, although I appreciated the fact that Minister Fioroni has taken a civic stance to defend the disable student who was abused by his classmates, I believe that we must also take into consideration the influence of TV shows on our kids as well. We could design the most effective censorship system in the world, but the best censorship comes from the parents, thus those who have the biggest responsibilities are the parents. We need to make sure that the youngsters will not have an easy access - even economically - to these kinds of games that promote violence, a violence that is not limited to the screen, but is unfortunately emulated in real life.


Carolina Lussana (Lega Nord Padania, Northern-League Padania)
Carolina Lussana on Wikipedia
I would also like to thank you and the Minister for giving us the opportunity to discuss this matter today. I also thank the Minister for announcing quick actions to respond to these issues, and I also believe that it is urgent that we intervene now. We just cannot procrastinate. You see, Minister, I perfectly understand your indignation for Rule of the Rose and for the other videogames that instigate violence, because your indignation is also mine, your indignation is also the indignation of all the parents that are well aware of the dangers that these games pose for the psycho-psychical health of their children, for their growing up, for their entrance in the world of adults. I must confess that I am not very familiar with this game, maybe it is because I belong to a different generation, and I do not understand PlayStation, console or joypod (sic) and therefore I must admit that I was taken aback by the fact that there are adults - in this I agree with Mrs. De Simone - that could even think of producing and distributing such violent games, games in which one wins if he play as an evil character, one wins if he can overpower the other, one wins if he can bury a girl alive. These games present us a world in which evil triumphs. It is true that some adults want to contaminate the innocence and naiveté of our children. This is something that demands our attention because somebody is trying to introduce these perversions into the domain of innocence. This is intolerable, because unlike adults who can protect themselves from sadomasochistic images diffused via the internet or via pedopornographic movies, or via those horror movies in which even the main characters are killed at the end, kids are unable to defend themselves. Therefore, the authorities cannot remain silent. They need to act now, but with facts, not just with words. I welcome a committee or a pan-European code like the one suggested by Anna Serafini, but we should also do more, because this lack of legislation has allowed these accidents to happen in the first place. We need to intervene at the point of origin. We need to stop these violent videogames from reaching the market because of their emulative effects on children. It is true, there is a huge market for this kind of products, but there is a limit that should not be crossed. Human dignity comes first. And we are not really going to take the reasons given by the providers (sic), that these games are going to be sold only to audiences older than 16, but we all know that according to an European directive, all individuals younger than 18 are to be considered children, thus it (the fact that the game is intended for audiences of 16 and older) is minimal and ineffective. We need to discuss how to protect the minors from such messages. We all worry that we cannot communicate our children our values, (like those expressed in) the tales of Andersen, and the Brothers Grimm, but those fairy tales and fables communicated strong values, respect for the elderly, they taught us that sacrifices were necessary to achieve results, unlike today, where violence equals success, this is the sort of messages that we are communicating. And this is unacceptable! Unacceptable! We should all be ashamed of ourselves! What are we communicating today? We are saying that child eroticism is beautiful, maybe even tinted with homosexuality - in this case there has not been any form of discrimination, Mrs. De Simone - thus we need to take our responsibilities. Please, we must act now. Enough discussion, now it is time for action. Zero tolerance against those who wish to corrupt the innocence of children.


Silvana Mura (Italia dei Valori - Italy of Values)
Mura on Wikipedia
I would also like to thank you all and especially Minister Mastella for his report on violent videogames that can seriously affect the psyche of our children. We already know that this game that will be introduced in Italy on November 24 2006, and that its story centers on a girl that is trying to avoid being killed by three other peers. A game that is filled with many terrifying images and sexual allusions. I have some troubles calling such product "a game" and this is certainly not the only one to present such features, even though this is probably one of the worst. These games have been widely available in Italy for a long time and they are all best-sellers. We do not like the word "censorship", it is not compatible with a modern democracy. However, there is censorship and censorship. One should not mistake political censorship with the necessity of monitoring the content that could affect the moral, social, and psychological health of minors. Playing is a very sensitive activity, because kids and teenagers are alone, vulnerable, defenseless against the messages that the game is communicating. Many scientific studies have already demonstrated how the most advanced videogames can cause forms of addictions and, in some cases, alienation. Therefore, the least we can do is monitor the content of these games. To allows the free circulation of games that require the players to commit virtual homicides and sadistic acts is not simply immoral, but also is damaging the cultural and psychological education of our children. This is why we are officially requesting a law that will make necessary for game makers to declare the contents of the games that glorify violence, abuses and overbearing. Such messages, similar to those already in use by other media such as film, could be defined by a committee of psychologists. If we allow the free circulation of violent videogames we should not be surprised if disable kids are beaten up and filmed in our schools. We are outraged by this episode, and Italia dei Valori wants to express its support to the boy and his family. When 'normal' kids become sadistic torturers against those who are not like them and are not satisfied with beating him up, but also feel compelled to record that act on video to be shared on the internet, it means that we have crossed the line. It is therefore necessary that the government acts immediately in order to analyze and stop episodes of bullying among teenagers. We need to launch a wide ministerial initiative that will comprise the minister of Justice, Education, Family and Health Care, to change page and stop youth violence. We need to work with all the administrations and associations. To protect our children is to make sure that tomorrow's adults will be responsible and mature enough for a civilized country.


Sergio D'Elia (La Rosa nel Pugno - The Rose in the Fist)
D'Elia on Wikipedia
I just wanted to express my gratitude to the Minister of Justice for bringing this matter to our attention today but also to express my solidarity to a Minister who was forced to show up today to discuss an issue that was brought up by a newsmagazine article. On a methodological point of view, it is unacceptable that this chamber has to confer about something raised by a newsmagazine. Who is setting the agenda, here? The newsroom? The magazines? How can the parliament work when someone else is deciding what has to be discussed? I believe that the issue of videogames that feature violent content need to be approached on a cultural level, e.g. with proper information. The amount of rhetoric that has been produced on this topic is remarkable. I believe that we need to protect the minors from this, that is, we need to defend the kids from this rhetoric of repression, because we are going to ask the parents not to buy these games. By criminalizing these games we won't solve the problem. Social phenomena are to be governed, not demonized. They are to be governed with principles and ideas based on common sense and reason. Repression and censorship won't get us far. We should try instead to regulate this phenomenon, by taking example from what our European partners our already doing for matters relating to videogames. As Titti De Simone reminded us, our approach is inherently hypocritical: one only needs to see what public television is broadcasting these days to understand what needs to be urgently regulated. One only needs to tale a look on the kinds of shows that both public and private television are broadcasting to realize how hypocritical we are. I want to warn you all that our approach to this matter - a repressive, forceful approach - is going to amplify rather than curb the black market of videogames, that is, the illegal market of such videogames. Thank you.


Luigi Cancrini (Comunisti Italiani - Italian Communists)
(no Wikipedia entry)
I would also like to thank you all. I would also like to add the Committee for Childhood is probably the best place to discuss this issue. I conferred with Anna Serafini, the President of such committee, and today it will be decided a day of study on this matter. It is the right place for this debate because it is a bicameral committee, meaning that both groups can work together to reach a satisfying result. We have already established a strong collaborative spirit today. On a legislative level, the creation of another committee (that will monitor the content of games) is certainly a possibility, but I also believe that also believe that pursuing the first option will be useful especially in the short term. I also wanted to share with you two professional considerations. First, it is now accepted that, for a child, to witness an act of violence is damaging. To witness an act of violence is considered to be a one of the most damaging factors in the process of growing up of a child. Therefore, in addition to the videogames that need to be censored and to be kept out of reach of children, we need to take into consideration other elements as well. I am referring, for instance, to wrestling. Wrestling is easily accessible on television and elsewhere and it is one of the worst examples of brutal, gratuitous violence. The fairy tales that we were told when we were kids featured violent, horrific and cruel scenes - think, for instance, of the tale of Hans & Gretel, with the witch feeding the kids so that she can cook them later. However, the real issue here is the kind of identification that is offered to the kids. In the story of Hansel and Gretel, the child does not identify with the witch, but with the kids, that ultimately escape. Bruno Bettelheim, a great psychoanalyst, has stressed the importance of this aspect in fairy tales, underlying their positive function on the growing up processes of the kids. That is, these stories allow the child to identify with an innocent small kid that eventually makes it in the end. I am afraid that many of these games, like those on bullying that Volonte' mentioned before, those that we discussed today, and wrestling, excite the fantasy of the kid and encourage him to identify with the aggressor and not with the victim. They postulate that violence is a form of defense. I believe that this damaging and dangerous for kids. I will conclude my intervention suggesting that a study is necessary, also to better respond to episodes such as the one that took place in Monza. Many colleagues have asked for an exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the bullying violence. However, I believe in effective punishment and an effective punishment for somebody who had physically abused a disable student would be to spend a reasonable amount of time doing social services in center for disable kids in order to understand the entity of his actions.


Luana Zanella (Verdi, Green Party)
Zanella on Wikipedia
Thank you Mrs. President. Frankly, I do not know if the formation of yet another committee for monitoring the content of videogames would be a valid solution for the problem we are now facing. I also do not believe that it is sufficient or even effective to demonize even this particular videogame, Rule of the Rose, that is at the center of the scandal. To be honest, how many movies, television shows, and games should then be censored? It is very simplistic and reductive to find the roots of bullying in a simple game... There is a whole terrain of violence that nurtures and encourages such behaviors. The reasons behind bullying go much deeper than that and are located in a violent imaginary. We should go back to Rene Girard's seminal Violence and the Sacred to understand the real sources of violence in our society. In that book - and I apologize for over simplifying - Girard argues that each civilization is born out of an act of violence. Collective mimetic violence sacrifices the innocent victim, the scapegoat, granting thus the community an identity. I believe it is useless to look for shortcuts, alibis, and over-simplified solutions. Having said that, I recognize that - for all I understand because I have not seen it, I do not know about my colleagues - the game (Rule of the Rose) that launched this controversy does appear to be discomforting. It is equally discomforting that, today, young girls are easily identifying with dangerous characters, sociopaths. It is shocking for us to understand that teenagers would relate more to the evil sisters than to Cinderella. What really upsets the adults is that evil characters are children, especially female children. I seem to remember, however, that horror videogames much more terrifying and violent than this have been circulating for a long time on the market, so the experts say. Moreover, it appears from what I have read on the internet that this game (Rule of the Rose) has not been particularly successful on the market, both critically and commercially. It seems that this game is graphically inferior to other productions. It also seems that it has a very complex plot and that the sound is mediocre. Moreover, the horror genre, which comprises many titles, has much better to offer, dear colleagues. I wonder if this scandal is simply going to give a wider visibility to a product that would have otherwise been ignored by most people. I believe that it would be better for us to develop a more comprehensive understanding of this world, thus, I accept the invitation of Luigi Cancrini, let's take this matter seriously! Let's listen to the kids that are playing games! Let's listen to the experts! And (let's listen) to those who are selling these games! They have already established self-regulations, they have their monitoring groups already! Let's not underestimate this! We will interrogate ourselves about the behaviors of teenagers! Of those teenagers that, in the apparent safe haven of domesticity, they drug themselves with television and videogames! Violent bullying is not the only reason to be worried. It is just a mirror of the world of adults, a world that is not reassuring anymore. We should worry about what philosopher Luisa Muraro calls the male tendency to prevail by abusing the Other, that we now find even in girls' behavior. We must act also by giving teenagers positive models and better perspectives for the future of all. Thank you, President.


Sandra Cioffi (Popolari, UDEUR - Popular Party, UDEUR)
(No Wikipedia entry)
Thank you, President. I wanted to thank you, Minister Mastella, for your prompt response to a problem that we all feel, but also for your urgent call to action. This matter is so serious that is necessary to take the initiative now. For this reason, as Cancrini has suggested, this problem should be tackled by the Committee for Childhood, whose I belong as well. In addition to a day of study on this subject, we are planning to create a working group specifically devoted to children, media and technology. We need to be realistic now. We need to manage technologies. We need to ride them (sic). We can let technologies destroy the values that lay at the foundations of our society. Today we are discussing Rule of the Rose but why are not we mentioning the fact that there are already games available on the market, like Il Gran Ladrone (sic) (she is probably referring to Grand Theft Auto, NdT) in which the player is rewarded for his criminal activities? And this is happening today that we are facing the rise of criminality in Naples and elsewhere. We need to think about this, because these games are already available. Why don't we think about a game that instigate bullying, a game that was not allowed on the market. And what about the episode of violence against girls? What should we conclude from all of this? We must stop these games from reaching the market. But it is not enough to stop the distribution of such games, because they can be easily downloaded from the net, and anybody can obtain them. We need, therefore, to coordinate our efforts to stop this, to avoid such games from being sold in these stores, these are bombs that cause tremendous damages not only in Italy but in other countries as well, instigating kids to become violent. We also need to establish code of conducts, starting in Europe. I totally disagree with Sony Italy's representative who argued that this game, Rule of the Rose, has not shocked the Japanese audiences. Non-violence has to become a value for the world. There is not such a thing as a Japanese-only notion of non-violence or an Italian-only notion of non-violence. But this is something that we must discuss, in Italy and in Europe, and we need to act now. We need to intervene on the distribution but also on the content of games. The governments and the authorities, in Italy and in other countries, can really make a difference. I agree that we should not demonize technology, but as the scientists on Pediatrics journal have concluded, playing games excessively can be damaging to our children. There are also French and American scientists who have come to the conclusion that, when used in a rational way, games can be beneficial in terms of creativity and learning. In conclusion, we want to thank you again, Minister, for your effort [...] we will monitor the media that are influencing the way we understand reality, or even create realities that do not exist [...].


(transcripts by Matteo Bittanti, 2006)