Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-sem.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!brl-tgr!brl-sem!jeffh From: jeffh@brl-sem.ARPA (the Shadow) Newsgroups: net.games,net.games.frp,net.kids,net.suicide,net.wanted Subject: Dungeons & Dragons Message-ID: <385@brl-sem.ARPA> Date: Fri, 23-Aug-85 12:24:58 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-sem.385 Posted: Fri Aug 23 12:24:58 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 00:35:35 EDT Organization: only the Shadow knows Lines: 35 Xref: watmath net.games:2140 net.games.frp:1861 net.kids:1737 net.suicide:712 net.wanted:7025 Followup To: net.games Distribution: net I have tried to set the followup on this to net.games. If anyone wants to discuss this further, please check to make sure your responses are going to only one newsgroup. (Stamp out net.clutter!!!) I have been listening to this "D&D rots your mind" stuff for some time. It often comes with (usually vague) references to suicides and mental illness. Now I would like to investigate the record and see if there is really any evidence to back up these claims. Who knows? I may get a thesis out of it. With that in mind, I am asking the net for some assistance. Where would I look for suicide statistics for teenagers in the last ten years? Anybody know the sales records for TSR? How about actual instances of suicide or mental illness *clearly* linked to D&D in particular or role-playing games in general. (NOT "This person committed suicide and he also played D&D once so that must have been the reason.") Any low-bias studies on this sort of thing would also help. Please send information (or pointers to information) to me via e-mail. If there is reasonable interest, I will post my findings to the net (probably in a month or so). BTW, there are lot of strong opinions on this subject and I've already heard most of them, so please just send me hard facts. "If I want your opinion, I'll beat it out of you." the Shadow ARPA:UUCP: {seismo,decvax,cbosgd}!brl!jeffh