Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ttidcc.UUCP Path: utzoo!decvax!linus!philabs!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) Newsgroups: net.kids Subject: Re: D&D Message-ID: <1@ttidcc.UUCP> Date: Mon, 28-Oct-85 19:01:17 EST Article-I.D.: ttidcc.1 Posted: Mon Oct 28 19:01:17 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 29-Oct-85 14:38:48 EST References: <123@mit-hector.UUCP> <1594@shark.UUCP> Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) Distribution: na Organization: The Cat Factory Lines: 34 Summary: In <123@mit-hector.UUCP> melissa@mit-hector.UUCP (Melissa Silvestre) writes: >A few weeks ago, 60 Minutes did a show on D&D. Their claim was that there >are a large number of homocides/suicides which are linked to D&D recently. >They showed interviews with parents and police in a number of cases, with >both groups saying "Johnny was obssessed with the game but I didn't realize >how badly until he stabbed his brother and himself ..." or such stuff. Since this subject is still making the rounds, I'd like to repeat a summary of a point I made about the above in net.games.frp and net.suicide: Apparently unlike 60 Minutes, I researched the national statistics on teenage suicide by contacting the local Suicide Prevention Center, looking in the U.S. Census data, and consulting with a professional demographer. When comparing the figures derived from this research with those derived from 60 Minutes' research the following statistic emerged: Teenagers who play D&D are _less_ likely to commit suicide than the average teenager by a factor of _at least_ 35 TO 1. Sources: The Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center _Statistical Abstract of the United States -- 1985_, The Bureau of the Census Now, can we _please_ lay this apocryphal nonsense to rest? -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp(+)TTI Common Sense is what tells you that a ten 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. pound weight falls ten times as fast as a Santa Monica, CA 90405 one pound weight. (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe