What happens when children play war games with toy weapons?
When adults buy Christmas presents for children they often pick toys focusing on occupations the child might have in the future such as building sets, tools and quiz games. Some select toys according to gender stereotypes.
The old faithfuls, dolls for the girls and guns for the boys.
Nine boys and three girls took part in an experiment where the children are presented with a mixed bag of toys. The test plays out predictably. Seven of the boys are preoccupied with the toy guns and pretend weapons. The more realistic and noisier the weapon the better. As the gunplay continues, the aggression from the boys grows and leadership jealousies between two of the older boys are observed.
There is no guerilla war in Dublin or anywhere else in Ireland at the moment, but think of the young of Derry, last August and their petrol bombs.
This experiment does not establish a link between playing with pretend weapons and future violence but,
Does the television war in Vietnam, the different television war of 'Hawaii Five-0’ and these toys lessen the value your son puts on human life?
This episode of ‘Seven Days’ was broadcast on 9 December 1969. The reporter is Rodney Rice.
The track accompanying this clip is 'Universal Soldier' by Donovan.
A current affairs programme, 'Seven Days' ran from 1966 to 1976.
