STANWOOD — Joe Neigel believes violent video games breed a culture of violence among young people.
Neigel plans to talk about the evolution of video game violence and offer parents suggestions on how to monitor the games their children play when he speaks Feb. 5 in Stanwood.
A Snohomish County substance abuse prevention specialist, Neigel also has worked with the county’s commission on children.
Because of his work, Neigel put together a presentation that he wishes everyone who owns a video game console would see.
“A lot of parents will be shocked to see how violent some of these games are,” Neigel said.
Foster parents, group-home staff and teenagers are encouraged to attend, he said.
Neigel’s program is one in a series of Community Conversation events sponsored by the Stanwood Camano Community Resource Center and the Stanwood-Camano Healthy Choices Coalition. Previous topics have included underage drinking and youth suicide, program coordinator Andrea Wyatt Detrick said.
At the Stanwood Camano Youth Activity Center, Detrick and her staff limit what teenagers play to video sports games and video programs such as Guitar Hero, she said.
“We believe people have choices to make regarding video games,” Detrick said. “At the youth center, we try to stay away from anything with violence.”
The youth center is open from 2 to 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at 9620 271st St. NW, across from the Stanwood Library.
Young people in grades 6 through 12 are invited to come and hang out with their friends, play games, take a class or get help with homework, Detrick said.
Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Video game violence
“A Community Conversation on Video Game Violence” is set for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at Stanwood Middle School, 2405 271st St. NW in Stanwood. The program, organized by the Stanwood Camano Community Resource Center, is free. For more information, call 360-629-5257.
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