Association against media violence

The Association against Media Violence (VGMG) was founded on April 28, 2009 in Bern (Switzerland) and dissolved in the summer of 2013. It was based in Muri near Bern and saw itself as a nationwide association. The first co-presidents since it was founded were Ursula E. Brunner and Roland Näf .

Activities and goals

The main concern of the VGMG was the fight against entertainment media, in particular computer games, in which significant depictions of violence occur. The association saw itself as politically and religiously neutral and had members from different political parties and social directions. The main goals were to sensitize the public and political decision-makers in the sense of the association's point of view, the supposedly necessary protection of children and young people, the enforcement and further tightening of state bans, the coordination of social work against media violence, and the provision of access to selected research results on the topic of media violence.

The association claimed a causal connection between spectacular crimes and "killer games" , as well as violence in other media. A separation between the values and actions prevailing in game worlds on the one hand and values and modes of action in real life on the other was rejected; It was claimed that computer games with amoral actions and value systems also taught them for real life. The club also claimed that the games in question trained action patterns for real-life acts of violence. His prohibition goals were therefore aimed at society as a whole, including against adult users of such media; a restriction to the protection of minors was rejected. He circulated studies aimed at confirming these views.

Upstream activities and establishment

The main initiator was the Bernese SP Cantonal Council and teacher Roland Näf. This had already appeared before with intensive efforts to enforce bans on violent computer games on the basis of existing laws. These were criminal charges against dealers who sold the games Stranglehold and Manhunt 2 ; the first reports ended with acquittals against the defendants, the latter with the termination of the proceedings. Therefore, the initiators of the association claimed that the existing Art. 135 of the Swiss Criminal Code was insufficient.

Actions and attacks against violent media

For the term motion in Switzerland, see Motion (Switzerland)

Motion against violent media in prisons, Canton Bern

In 2009, the VGMG in the canton of Bern enforced a ban on violent games and films in prisons and prisons and called on the other cantons to act accordingly.

Motion against violent computer games at the federal level

The SP politician and VGMG board member Evi Allemann brought in a motion at the federal level calling for the creation of a more stringent law against violent computer games, which also criminalizes the sale to adult users. The motion was accepted by the National Council on June 3, 2009 and by the Council of States on March 18, 2010. Although no ban had yet been introduced, a corresponding draft law had been commissioned.

On September 23, 2014, the Council of States refused to accept the initiative. On October 30, 2014, the responsible commission for science, education and culture unanimously recommended that the National Council also not follow suit.

Connections to the former association for the promotion of psychological knowledge of human nature (VPM)

In the spring of 2010 it became known that the founding members of the VGMG included around a dozen supporters of the former Association for the Promotion of Psychological Knowledge of Human Being (VPM). This association had repeatedly been criticized as authoritarian and sectarian in the past and officially dissolved in 2002; many former members are still active. The VGMG linked pages from the environment of the former group in the "tried and tested links" section and published texts from people close to the VPM on its front page. After it became known, according to the association, the persons concerned were asked to leave and the relevant links and texts on the website were deleted in order to avoid disadvantages for the association's work.

criticism

The VGMG specifically met the criticism that is also generally expressed against intentions to prohibit "killer games". In it, the VGMG is accused of illegitimate tutelage of adult players; the allegations of the harmful effects of violent games are not valid and in no way justify total bans.

Inactivity and dissolution

The association's website has not been available since 2013. Since then, none of the well-known exponents have distinguished themselves in the media and spoke for the association.

In April 2014, Roland Näf told the newspaper "Der Bund" that the dissolution of the association had already been announced in summer 2013, but that this had not been noticed in general. It was no longer possible to get people to work on the board. Näf summed up that "society apparently accepts the violence in computer games" and "Switzerland will never decide to restrict the sale and distribution of computer games".