Car News

Copy of: Role-Playing Games

FROM: Taylor ISD web-generated message

TO: hippogriffpub@yahoo.com

Sunday, April 17, 2011 9:36 PM

The following is a copy of the message you sent to Dellean Hartmann via Taylor Independent School District 

This e-mail was sent via http://www.taylorisd.org/CMS from:

Paul Cardwell <hippogriffpub@yahoo.com>

I am chair of CAR-PGa, an international network of researchers into all aspectes of role-playing games - therapy and curriculum as well as recreation. Since 1989, we have studied the allegations of some sort of connection between these games and any manifestation of violence or crime. We have yet to find any case reported in the sensationalist mass media that would hold up under US or Texas rules of evidence. On the contrary, we have a sizeable archive of scholarly documents on the benefits of these games.

I would be glad to discuss this further and answer specific questions on the subject.

Briefly, I would suggest the following:

Lanning, Kenneth V. (1989, October) Satanic, occult, ritualistic crime: a law enforcement perspective. Quantico, VA: National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, a brief mention in an 11 page booklet by a Supervisory Special Agent and instructor at the FBI Academy.

Hicks Robert D. (1991). In Pursuit of Satan: the police and the occult. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus. When Pat Pulling was the darling of the satanic panic crowd, Hicks, an anthropologist with the Virginia Deparment of Criminal Justice Services, was assigned to investigate these charges. That agency also published several papers and speeches by him on that subject.

Hübner, Martina (1995). Fantasy-Rollenspiel - ein kreative Medium zur Gewaltprävention? München: Aktion Jungendschutz. Use of RPG in preventing violence in youth. Hübner is a sociologist with the roughly equivalent to county around Munich.  In German.

Matelly, Jean-Hugues (1997). Jeu de Rôle. Toulon: Presses du Midi. Matelly is commandant of the research section of the Gendarmerie de Nîmes. In French.

CAR-PGa has been in correspondence with the authors of the papers cited, except for Hübner, which we got second-hand from our Director for Europe, Carsten Obst, who is archivist for the city of Neüminster.

You will note that all these examples are from the 20th century. The class libel was so disproven back then that we were surprised to find another outbreak. Most of our research in this field has been over sloppy newspaper reporting, which virtually always turns out to be video or online games and not involving classic tabletop play at all. The difference between one person with a keybord or joystick in isolation and a group with face to face interaction is of major significance, not to mention many other differences. And there is no demonstrable connection with the electronic "games" (really puzzles since there is only one solution) and violence either.

In light of the overwhelming evidence, I would urge you not only to continue the club in question, but to utilize it more as a direct adjunct to the curriculum. See the Game Manufacturers Association series on the subject by David Milians (also available online at www. gamesampersandeducation.com. Millians is a 5-6 grade teacher in Atlanta, GA, and a member of CAR-PGa. 

Also of use might be Cardwell, Paul (1993). Role-playing games and the gifted student. CAR-PGa: Bonham, TX. This is an update of the 1995 Gifted Education International, pp 39-46. (The later date than the revision was due to it being lost at GEI for awhile between acceptance and publication!)

Please let us know how we can help in this valuable program. I will be leading a seminar on RPG and curriculum on Saturday, May 21 at the Texicon game convention, Sheriton Hotel, Fort Worth. It is a long drive up I-35, but might be worth the trip.

Paul Cardwell (BA, SMU; MS, UNT; for whatever relevance that may be)