Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site h-sc1.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!h-sc1!guy From: guy@h-sc1.UUCP (alfred guy) Newsgroups: net.suicide,net.games.frp,net.kids Subject: Re: Suicide and D&D (Re: Violence and the arts) Message-ID: <550@h-sc1.UUCP> Date: Fri, 23-Aug-85 12:35:18 EDT Article-I.D.: h-sc1.550 Posted: Fri Aug 23 12:35:18 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 00:33:04 EDT References: <6601@ucla-cs.ARPA> <449@im4u.UUCP> Reply-To: guy@h-sc1.UUCP (alfred guy) Organization: Harvard Univ. Science Center Lines: 33 Xref: watmath net.suicide:711 net.games.frp:1860 net.kids:1736 >> "Games - 'There is no doubt in my mind that the game Dungeons and Dragons >> is causing young men to kill themselves and others. This game is one of >> non-stop combat and violence.'" ... >> >> I wonder if Radecki could come up with a single case where he can demonstrate >> that D & D contributed to a killing or suicide? > >I'm no fan of the culture of violence, but the case for linking D&D with >suicide seems to be overstated. Interested readers can take a look at page Not being a D&D player myself (gasp, blasphemy!) but only a hack/rogue fan who is interested in his game's roots, I didn't pay very close attention to the details of this article (the one I'm about to tell about) when I first read it, that's why I'm a little vague. However I distinctly remember reading about some parents who sued a high school teacher, the school district, and some frp company, because they claimed that their young son committed suicide in response to having a curse laid upon him during a D&D game. It seems that the kid was in a program for high intellectual achievers, part of which including teaching the kids D&D, and having them play games in the school. They lost the case, and if anyone in the Boston area wants to read the article, it is posted on the wall of the Science Fantasy Bookstore on JFK street, because that's where I read it. Hope this adds to the discussion, despite being undetailed. -- "But why do you hate me?" --Lord Foul "Because you're ugly!" --Thomas Covenant -alfie-