Beyond the Scapegoat: Real solutions for child safety and the future of Philippine gaming | #childsafety | #kids | #chldern | #parents | #schoolsafey

IN THE WAKE of the tragic school shooting in Tacloban that led to the death of three students, it is only natural for society to search for answers. Yet proposals to restrict or ban video games are not supported by the overwhelming body of available evidence. If our goal is to protect children, we must address the real factors behind violence rather than resort to convenient scapegoats or quick fixes.

I write not only as an educator and industry representative, but also as a parent. Over the past 25 years in higher education, including the last 16 years helping build game development education in the Philippines, I have seen games foster creativity, collaboration, technical innovation, and problem-solving. I have also watched the Philippine game development industry grow into a respected creative sector that creates opportunities in game development, software engineering, digital art, animation, design, and other creative fields.

Decades of peer-reviewed research tell a consistent story. While no single study is definitive, the overwhelming body of evidence has found little to no support for the claim that playing video games directly causes real-world criminal violence.

Violence is a complex human behavior shaped by many influences, not by a single form of media. Like films, television, books, and other fictional media, video games are enjoyed by millions without determining how people behave in the real world.

The conversation should therefore focus on where responsibility truly belongs.

Today’s game platforms already provide multiple layers of protection for young users. As a parent, my wife and I set up our daughter’s Roblox account under parental supervision. The platform required identity verification to enable family supervision features, applied age-based restrictions by default, and notified us when she recently entered the 13+ age group while allowing us to retain parental controls. Her Android device likewise uses a supervised Google child account that allows us to approve apps, manage screen time, and apply content restrictions. These safeguards demonstrate that developers and platforms have invested significantly in digital safety.

This shared responsibility was also reflected during the recent Senate hearing, where psychologists, mental health professionals, and other resource persons emphasized that meaningful intervention must address the underlying causes of youth violence, including psycho-emotional well-being, family and home environments, bullying, social isolation, and other societal factors.

This is shared responsibility: Developers provide internationally recognized age ratings and parental controls. Platforms enforce these safeguards. Parents remain actively involved in their children’s digital lives. Schools promote digital citizenship, while the government strengthens mental health services and pursues evidence-based public policy.

Protecting children and supporting the Philippine game development industry are not competing goals. We can and must do both. The question is not whether our children deserve protection. They do. The real question is whether we will pursue solutions grounded in evidence, responsibility, and collaboration, or continue blaming the wrong target.

Norman Lee is the chairperson of the Game Design and Development (GDD) program at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of Management and Information Technology (SMIT). He is also a board member of the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP) and the chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Technical Panel for Game Development and Animation.