It's human nature to shift the blame when caught in the act. By making games culpable for human actions, there is a further shift away from personal responsibility -- both for the criminal and those who would excuse his actions. The problem is, this avoidance of taking blame is a behavioral trait that should have been managed by -- and here it is at last, the point -- the predator's parents.

As a parent, every day I see my son display behaviors both commendable and undesirable. He's never struck another child, but even if he had it would be an opportunity for me to step in and help him understand his own motivations, so he can better modify his own actions. Being a good citizen -- able to understand right from wrong -- is not an inherent personality trait. It must be developed. Children simply do not have the moral compass required to fully understand the far-reaching consequences of their own actions, so it's up to their parents to help them figure it out. This is why it's important to carefully filter the type of content they experience; their minds are still in a process of physical development, and the early impressions tend to be the deepest.

So how can this be done? The obvious answer is to educate yourself on the way children grow, and tailor their experiences to match. Now, equally obviously, you'd never let a toddler play a first person shooter, but at some point, as he gets older and expands his circle of influence, he'll become exposed to content that's out of your direct control. But if you've been doing your job, he'll come to you with questions, and it's your responsibility to answer them in a thoughtful, non-judgmental way. Look at it this way: you may enjoy violence in games. It hasn't made you a sociopathic monster. You understand right from wrong, and that what's on-screen isn't real. A child may have trouble understanding that, even as he may be drawn to it, which is nothing more than curiosity, a healthy trait.

We've seen that repression is what causes aberrant behavior, not healthy exploration. The avoidance of punishment is a clear indicator that the guilty party understands that at some level, they've done wrong. This is where personal responsibility comes in. Rather than repressing your child's curiosity by telling him that these games are bad, learn to put things in their proper context. Clearly, video games are not a trend that is going to disappear. We, as a race, seem to need them to express some aspect of ourselves. Therefore, we need to make sure that our kids understand how to think of them, and their place in society. We can't keep blaming our troubles on external sources and expect things to change. So let's start with our kids. The next time you hear someone decry the state of video games and say "Won't someone think of the children?", remember that that doesn't mean to think for them, and that it's just as important to teach our children to think for themselves.